• 9 months ago
'We are not fake news,' says SMNI consultant | Business and Politics

SMNI consultant and former TV host Jay Sonza says he believes there is no such thing as ‘fake news,’ only incomplete or mistaken information. The veteran broadcaster stood firm against the 'unjust suspension' of the network and is determined to get it back on air. The network continues to operate on its online platforms.

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News
Transcript
00:00 As you know, this network is fighting for its survival.
00:03 Just this week, a committee of the House of Representatives convened a hearing to discuss the revocation of its franchise.
00:09 Last year, that same committee recommended suspension, which the National Telecommunications Commission executed without a hearing or an opportunity for network executives to argue their case.
00:19 That suspension has now been made indefinite.
00:22 SB&I employees have since sought relief from the court, but as of today's taping, there has been no decision.
00:28 Helping fend off the assault on the network is a multi-awarded journalist who has been commissioned by SB&I as its crisis PR man.
00:34 He is none other than Jay Sonza.
00:37 Much of his career has been in the media.
00:39 Many from my generation know him as a news host on GMA News, but he has also worked for ABS-CBN, Manila Broadcasting Corporation, Manila Chronicle, the Manila Times, Before My Time, and many others.
00:50 During that period, he has been recognized for journalism. Among his awards include the New York International TV Award, the Catholic Mass Media Awards, the KVP Golden Dove, and several others.
01:00 Besides journalism, Mr. Sonza was also in public service.
01:03 Earlier in life, he worked for the Commission on Population, the Ministry of Social Service and Development, and the Bureau of Youth Welfare.
01:10 Perhaps his most important work, at least for the people here, is his mission to defend the image of this network.
01:16 We'll ask Mr. Sonza, how does he plan to get SM&I back on its proverbial feet?
01:21 You know, I never thought in my career I'd be the one interviewing you. You were my idol growing up in New York City.
01:26 Welcome to Business and Politics.
01:27 Thank you. Thank you.
01:29 Sorry, I know you've been very busy. You attended a hearing this past week. Maybe we should start there.
01:35 What is the latest in this saga of SM&I's franchise?
01:40 The latest, December 21, we were supposed to go back on the air after the expiration of the suspension order.
01:50 After 30 days, right?
01:51 After 30 days. However, before the 30th day, the National Telecommunications Commission issued a cease and desist order for an indefinite suspension.
02:04 So that's what happened. And then what we did, the legal department, the lawyers, thought it wise to question this.
02:15 So they filed a motion for reconsideration with the NTC.
02:20 They filed, the reporters and the writers and producers filed a certiorari before the Supreme Court with Attorney Harry Roque.
02:33 And then we also filed a motion for reconsideration with the Office of the President with respect to the suspension of the two programs,
02:42 the Gikansa Masa and Laban, which were ordered suspended also for 28 days by the Movie Television Review and Classification Board.
02:54 So in effect, this is the situation now. And then on top of that, we were surprised by the information that Congressman Gutierrez of One Rider Party List filed a bill seeking to revoke the franchise issued to Suarasug and SM&I.
03:21 So that's what happened. So they called for a committee hearing last Wednesday. We attended the same.
03:31 What happened was that the questions were repeated, except for the resolution 9710, which is the bill seeking to revoke the franchise of this network.
03:48 Sir, you've been in the industry 40 years. I'm sure during your time, you have been probably as aggressive, if not more than some of the hosts who were...
04:02 Yes.
04:03 Were you surprised? I mean, what do you think is going on? Is it purely legal or is there a political...
04:11 I'm surprised in the sense that I came into the industry before martial law was proclaimed.
04:20 Sure.
04:21 And then I came back to the industry martial law time and post-Ed Saha revolution.
04:26 So you've seen the...
04:27 Yes, the entire development in the industry. I have... First of all, we don't have in history that this kind of harassment has happened in the media.
04:39 Not even martial law?
04:40 Not even martial law. Because I remember in martial law, while it was... It was really risky as a journalist.
04:48 Sure.
04:49 So we were still writing for Malaya. We were writing for...
04:53 Under Joe Burgos.
04:55 Yes, Joe Burgos. But you were called. I remember I was detained for 11 hours by the former first lady, only to be lectured with the 11 basic needs of man.
05:09 At the university of life, right?
05:11 So, but there was no such thing that you will really be harassed or insulted by the entire organization.
05:22 No, people will call you.
05:24 Sure.
05:25 There was a time when former president Marcos was called and then he will ask you, "What is it that you don't like? What did you see wrong?"
05:37 So, that's how it was.
05:39 In a sincere way or like you were getting angry?
05:45 No, in my case, because I was... I think I was the youngest at that time. He was saying that it's right, you have to be vigilant.
05:53 Okay.
05:54 But you are wrong like this, so of course, you will be given a correction.
05:57 So, those are the experiences back then. Now, that's why I'm wondering about this revocation.
06:08 Sure.
06:09 Because this is the first time in the history of world, maybe we can say in the whole world, that a broadcast is being gagged and being prevented from going back on the air.
06:26 Because when they asked, "Is there a country in the world that has been revoked?"
06:35 At least not in a democratic party, not like in the Philippines.
06:39 So, it's good that our former colleagues in the KBPB said the truth. This is the first time. As a matter of fact, only we in the whole world are requiring congressional franchise.
06:51 Is that so?
06:52 Yes. Whether in Europe, America, it's just a simple... In our NTC, in their FCC. That's all.
07:03 Now, what they insist, of course, the House insists that they have the power to revoke.
07:10 Sure.
07:11 Of course, that's a long debate.
07:13 Sure.
07:14 Because I'm reading, I'm not used to English, but I'm looking at it, there's really no...
07:20 There is no such provision in their power that they can revoke a franchise. They have the power to repeal the law.
07:30 But the usual, they approve it, approve it in the plenary, submit it to the Senate, the Senate committee will take on it.
07:42 Okay.
07:43 They will handle it in the plenary, and then it has to be signed and approved by the President. That's the process.
07:49 Right.
07:50 So, we said, what they always insist on, four things. Number one, they're saying we violated the provision of Section 4, which is, they said, red tagging and fake news.
08:06 We, who have been in the industry for a long time, first of all, the red tagging is a jargon created by Joma Sison.
08:18 We didn't call them that back then. We know them as progressive organization, that's the term we used in the media back then.
08:27 But we never called them as front organization of CBP, NPA, NDF. But it was Joma Sison who said, these are my front organization.
08:37 So, when he said that, of course, we followed him. He himself red tagged.
08:43 So, now we are being accused of red tagging them. They even came up with the figure of 288 red tagging incidents within the period of less than two months.
08:54 So, that's one. The other one is, fake news. Fake news is also a jargon, a media jargon.
09:01 The information may be wrong, it may be lacking in substance, but it can never be a fake news.
09:09 Because it's not like, broadcast is different from print. In print, we have all the time to get the site.
09:18 Sure.
09:19 The news will be longer.
09:21 Your elbow room will be longer. Maybe until the print time, 9 o'clock in the evening or 10 o'clock.
09:28 You can still chase it, you can still remand.
09:31 But in broadcast, you are chasing something. For example, you picked up the story of 11.30. You're going on the air at 12.
09:40 You really don't have time to check. So, what you will do, maybe the next time, maybe later tonight.
09:47 So, that's one. But, there is no, I believe, Clink, there is no fake news.
09:54 Okay.
09:55 The information may be wrong, the information is lacking.
09:59 Now, if there are such things, the party is offended, you have a lot of recourse.
10:07 Yes.
10:08 You can file a...
10:09 Libel.
10:10 Yes, libel suit, cyber libel, whatever that is. Of course, there is another question there.
10:16 In libel, they are not criminalizing.
10:20 Yes.
10:21 But at the same time, in cyber libel, it is criminal. So, this, the Congress should also fix it.
10:27 Yes.
10:28 So, anyway, that's their problem.
10:29 Yes.
10:30 That's the status now. And then, they are insisting that the ownership was, the report was wrong.
10:41 The transfer.
10:42 Yes, the transfer. But that's a reportorial. You can correct it.
10:46 Yes.
10:47 There is nothing there. You may have been lacking, you misspelled. The name you put as new owners is not enough.
10:55 But this can be administratively corrected.
10:58 But sir, you know, you're talking about the time, you said Joe Borgos at the time. I think if I remember correctly, they had 1 million copies.
11:05 Correct.
11:06 I mean, it was a mosquito press, but I don't think there's been a paper that big, no?
11:11 No.
11:12 But SMNI today, I mean, in terms of scale, right?
11:14 That's...
11:15 Why are they threatened too much by SMNI?
11:19 I asked them, of course, off the record. I asked them, why are you so threatened? We're not ABS-CBN, we're not GMA, we're not TB5.
11:30 Yes.
11:31 Second, you already suspended us, we're not on the air.
11:35 Why are you so agitated?
11:37 Yes, you're all agitated. Second, you're trying to involve, even in suspension, the social media, the new media.
11:46 We have no control there, unless you pass a law that will be enforced by MTRCB or MTC, which has worldwide repercussions, international repercussions.
11:58 So, the same question you're asking, Clink.
12:02 I'm confused. Why are they...
12:06 It's so small. It's like, we're just, you said it, we're just a small religious station.
12:16 But, I don't know, maybe when they monitor the algorithm, they can see the feedback of the people, that people have a lot of trust, that people are getting angry,
12:31 that people are asking why this small station is being destroyed, this is the only alternative they can see.
12:38 So, we, that encourages us more, no?
12:43 When people write to us, they send emails, they call us, that please don't be pushed.
12:52 And that's really the objective of the network, nation building.
12:57 It's not a coincidence that sometimes it's really painful, the truth is, that's where I was at the first hearing.
13:05 All we were asking for in the House was let us air, let us show the footage that you're saying we were accusing you of pocketing 1.8 million, because we never did.
13:18 It was a question.
13:19 It was a question, no?
13:21 Until now, we've been asking, and you brought it out. Because I remember a couple of weeks ago, Speaker Martin Romualdez inaugurated the launching of Congress TV.
13:39 Yes.
13:40 He said he raised the hardest question, we are ready to answer it.
13:44 So, we're raising again the question, actually, the question of Eric Noon was wrong, 1.8.
13:52 Because apparently on the record, they had 2 billion plus 0.66 million, no?
13:59 And they only spent 39 million according to them.
14:01 So, there's still too much 2 billion.
14:03 Our question now is, what happened to 2 billion, sir?
14:07 What's your analysis here? Why is this happening?
14:11 Ah, your honest analysis?
14:14 Sure. Before we go on break, yeah?
14:15 Yeah.
14:16 Number one, I think they think, or their belief is that because former President Duterte is doing a program here, they want to get rid of Duterte.
14:33 But the program of Mr. Duterte is just one and a half hours every, what, once a month?
14:40 Once a month.
14:41 And it's still midnight.
14:42 And it's still midnight.
14:43 So, number two, if you think about it, I don't like to think negatively, but the alliance that the Speaker has with the Baka Bayan Black, which are, without tagging them,
15:03 Progressives.
15:04 The Progressive group. We know that they are very angry because this is the only station that openly campaigned against the Communist terrorist group, CBP-NPA-NDF.
15:20 So, number three, this is my personal analysis. I think this has something to do with Pastor Kibuloy getting into the US market of tele-evangelization.
15:40 So, he grew up, because before, there were Filipino evangelists in the US. INC, the MCGI, and then came the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
15:55 They grew up. You know in America, there are many protestant movements and these are great contributors to the political parties and personalities at the Capitol Hills, or even at the White House.
16:16 So, maybe because a lot is missing from them, this is just my estimate, and they are hurting the membership.
16:27 So, clipping the wings of Mr. Kibuloy or Pastor Kibuloy.
16:34 [Silence]
16:41 [Mouse click]
16:42 [Bell ring]
16:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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