Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) — Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) hosts Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Badoy might spend the holidays in detention after lawmakers cited them in contempt for being disrespectful and avoiding answering questions during a House hearing.
Speaking to CNN Philippines’ The Source on Wednesday, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Ty Pimentel said a committee report, which is still being crafted, must be first adopted during a plenary session before both SMNI hosts are released.
“Next week we only have three days, so if the committee report will not be approved by next week, then they will have to be detained until we resume session on Jan. 22,” he explained.
“They can make an appeal for a furlough for them to spend Christmas, holidays with their family,” which has to be approved by lawmakers, he added.
During the hearing on Tuesday for the alleged fake news peddling by SMNI, members of the Committee on Legislative Franchises cited Celiz in contempt for refusing to reveal who was the source of his claim that Speaker Martin Romualdez spent ₱1.8 billion for his foreign trips.
Celiz earlier said that this information came from a source in the Senate, but later admitted that his allegation was false after House Secretary General Reginald Velasco clarified that Romualdez only had a ₱4.3-million travel budget from January to October 2023.
The SMNI host insisted that he is bound by the Sotto Law, which protects journalists and other media practitioners involved in news dissemination from being compelled to name their sources.
Pimentel said such a law does not apply to Celiz because he is not a duly recognized or accredited broadcaster by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.
