Meta takes down SMNI Facebook pages over alleged hate speech, contempt

Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), the broadcasting arm of the Apollo Quiboloy-led Kingdom of Jesus Christ, said Wednesday its Facebook page and those of its affiliates have been suspended by Meta.

In a statement, SMNI said that SMNI News page, DZAR 1026, and SMNI Integrated News were sanctioned for “expressing hatred or contempt for a group of people and using harmful racial stereotypes” which is in violation of Meta’s community standards.

But SMNI maintained that they are not causing harm to the community.

“Let us be clear: we do not post anything harmful to the community. If this is the price for speaking the truth, then so be it,” it said.

“SMNI will always speak the truth that matters,” it added.

GMA News Online has reached out to Meta for comment and will publish it as soon as it becomes available.

In March 2024, the House of Representatives revoked the franchise to operate of Swara Sug Media Corp., which operates SMNI, due to alleged willful dissemination of false information, transfer of ownership without congressional approval, among others.

1-Rider party-list Rodge Gutierrez, author of the measure revoking Swara Sug’s franchise, said SMNI’s broadcast of falsehoods already became a bad habit and subsequently, resulted in blatant violation of Swara Sug’s franchise granted by Congress in 2019.

“SMNI has engaged in red-tagging and fake news peddling, labeling members of the House, the former Vice President of the Philippines [Leni Robredo], and private persons as members of the New People's Army," Gutierrez said.

"The [franchise] grantee corporation also attempted to create discord between the Upper and the Lower House by insinuating that unnamed and unverified Senate sources have claimed that Congress had spent P1.8 billion in travel expenses in 2023 without any basis or proof. This baseless allegation was subsequently disproved by no less than the head of the Finance Department of the House of Representatives. Clearly, all these acts of SMNl run contrary to its mandate provided under Section 4 of the law that granted its franchise," he added.—AOL, GMA Integrated News