MANILA — There is a "big" possibility that the broadcast franchise of SMNI News Channel will be revoked, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said Wednesday, citing the outlet's alleged violations.

"There is a really big possibility [of] revoking," Pimentel told ANC when asked about the chance that Congress, which has the exclusive authority over media franchises, will cancel SMNI's license.

The lawmaker said his colleagues passed on Tuesday a resolution urging the National Telecommunications Commission "to suspend the airing of SMNI."

This joke just writes itself

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Tuesday recorded a magnitude 5.9 quake in Occidental Mindoro at 4:23 p.m.

This was felt by residents in some parts of Metro Manila, according to social media post.

We’ve received reports of an earthquake felt in different parts of Metro Manila.
Did you feel it too? Tell us your location. pic.twitter.com/qDdJhE8dMd

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) December 5, 2023

Phivolcs reported that the tremor’s epicenter was traced 13.84°North, 120.18°East – 007 kilometers South 76° East of Lubang, Occidental Mindoro. It was tectonic in origin.

#EarthquakePH #EarthquakeOccidentalMindoro
Earthquake Information No.1Date and Time: 05 December 2023 – 04:23 PM
Magnitude = 5.9
Depth = 079 km
Location = 13.84°N, 120.18°E – 007 km S 76° E of Lubang (Occidental Mindoro)https://t.co/JyDNWJUGuW pic.twitter.com/sL0GRwGtF5

— PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) December 5, 2023

There were no intensities reported yet.

The state seismologists in its first update said that there could be aftershocks from the earthquake event.

“Mr. President, the government’s statement with the NDFP in Oslo was an agreement with the devil. Napatunayan na natin sa kasaysayan na hindi sila seryoso at wala silang sinseridad sa usaping pangkapayapaan. Gagamitin nila itong peace negotiation sa pagtraydor sa pamahalaan at paglinlang sa taumbayan,” Duterte said in a video message posted on her Facebook page, as she publicly expressed her disagreement with the President’s policy.

(History has proven that they are not serious and have no sincerity when it comes to peace negotiations. They will use this peace negotiation to betray the government and fool the people.)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday deployed two of its vessels to conduct maritime patrols in the immediate vicinity of Julian Felipe Reef, where more than 135 Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels have reportedly been seen swarming.

In a statement, PCG-West Philippine Sea spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said yesterday that Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, Coast Guard

commandant, ordered the deployment of two of their multi-role response vessels (MRRVs), the BRP Sindangan and BRP Cabra after learning about the presence of CMMs around the area of Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef.

MANILA, Philippines — The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that happened off the coast of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur on Saturday was caused by movements in the Philippine trench, said Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Teresito Bacolcol on Sunday.

The quake happened at 10:37 p.m. on Saturday, December 2.

The state seismologist raised a tsunami alert following the quake but took it down early Sunday.

COTABATO, Philippines – At least four people were killed while at least 42 others were hurt as an explosion ripped through a gym at the state-run Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City during a Mass on Sunday morning, December 3, according to Jenny Tamano, Lanao del Sur provincial government spokesperson, who released an update regarding the casualty count.

A panel of the House of Representatives on Thursday kicked off its probe into alleged franchise violations of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).

The House committee on legislative franchises, chaired by Parañaque City Rep. Gustavo Tambunting, grilled SMNI representatives and its talents Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Marie Badoy over one of their TV broadcasts.

Tambunting said the franchise granted to SMNI owner Swara Sug Media Corp. is being scrutinized on its alleged violation of Section 4 of Republic Act No. 11422 where “the grantee shall … conform to the ethics of honest enterprise; and not use its stations or facilities … for the dissemination of deliberately false information or willful misrepresentation, to the detriment of the public interest.”

TIL our government can block Google and Meta's advertising. Why can't do the same thing on some sketchy ads like e-sabong and oversexualized mobile games?

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MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-Ivorian fencer Maxine Esteban said she looks forward to the day that no national athlete hoping to bring honor to the country will have to chase their dreams elsewhere.

“I hope I will be the last,” said the highest-ranked Philippine-born fencer in the world, who finally opened up on the circumstances that led to her switching her allegiance to Cote d’Ivoire.

“Napakasakit po. Sobra akong nabastos,” Esteban told Power and Play over the weekend. “My prayer and hope is that whatever happened to me would never happen to any Filipino athlete. What [my federation] did to me was extremely hurtful, unfair and disrespectful.”

Esteban said things started to sour when she got injured while representing the Philippines in the World Championship in Egypt in July last year.

The eight-time national champion and the only Filipino fencer World Cup multi-medalist tore her ACL, which required a six-month rehabilitation program. Esteban said that upon learning the extent of her injury, she immediately wrote the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA) requesting that she be excused from the national and international events of the qualifiers.

The PFA, Esteban said, wrote back and excused her.

“In other countries, you don’t need to do that,” Esteban said. “You are excused and your ranking stays while you recover because that is the least that they can do to show their appreciation for your service and sacrifices.”

To her surprise, she was informed by fellow fencers that when the list of national athletes was posted, she was no longer part of the team. Esteban said the PFA did not even inform her of the decision.

The World No. 39 then sought an audience with the PFA board to clarify the situation, attaching the federation’s response to her excuse letter — to no avail.

Esteban denied leaving the country due to rich offers from abroad, saying “first of all, I did not turn my back on my country. I turned my back on my federation because it turned its back on me first.”

She bared having received several offers for naturalization from other countries but chose Ivory Coast because of her family’s long-standing ties to the country. The athlete had also held clinics and donated fencing equipment to Ivory Coast when she was younger.

Esteban said she no longer has regrets about how things turned out but hopes that by opening up on her experience, it will lead to change in the way things are being done in national federations.

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can decide by his own legal authority if the Philippines will rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) — without Senate concurrence, former Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Tuesday.

“In my view, the concurrence of the Senate is not necessary for the Philippines to rejoin the [ICC]. The Philippines can rejoin the ICC without returning to the Senate,” Drilon said in a statement.

The former justice secretary’s view challenged an earlier assertion by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who suggested that any move by the government to return to the ICC fold would require a majority approval by the senators.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government would need to redo the process of returning to the fold of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which would require the concurrence of two-thirds of the membership of the Senate, Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said on Monday.

Dela Rosa, one of the respondents of the cases lodged with the ICC, said President Marcos cannot unilaterally rejoin the ICC without Senate ratification, which his predecessor, then President Rodrigo Duterte, did to withdraw in 2018.

source from their facebook page

Asked what he’s preparing himself for, he answered: Ready to fire [and] ready to speak.

“As I’ve said, I am willing to face Filipino courts. I am willing to be tried by Filipino courts. But by a foreign body, I am not willing,” said the senator.

He, however, stressed that it is not an indication that he will evade the law.

“Baka sabihin niyo sisibat na si Bato, hindi ako lalayas. Pag sinabi ng ating gobyerno, sinabi ng ating korte: Bato harapin mo yan, dito ka sa amin humarap — then haharap ako, harapin ko yan,” he said.

Go-to Karaoke Songs sa mga Taong Hindi Kayang mag High Notes?

Napansin ko halos lahat ng mga kantang alam ko may mga high notes na hindi ko kayang abutin. Bigay kayo ng mga kantang kayang abutin ng mortal na katulad ko.

"It is with a heavy heart that I bid Tier One Entertainment farewell. The journey we shared in building the company has been both challenging and rewarding. However, it has become evident that our visions and values are not aligned," she said. "I am grateful for the experiences, relationships, and accomplishments we’ve achieved together," Alodia followed.