Philippines suspends TV show where ex-president Duterte made death threat against lawmaker, France Castro

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board imposed a two-week suspension on “Gikan Sa Masa, Para Sa Masa” effective December 18, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The programme, which airs on SMNI channel, has been a platform for the former president to express his views on various issues including tensions in the South China Sea and local politics after ending his six-year term in June 2022. SMNI is a broadcasting company associated with television evangelist Apollo Quiboloy, a known Duterte supporter.

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The deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives, said the former president must be held accountable now that he no longer enjoys immunity from lawsuits as a private citizen.

Castro was among the lawmakers who had criticised Duterte’s daughter, Vice-President Sara Duterte, for seeking confidential funds in the 2024 budget.

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Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a Duterte ally, defended the former president, saying days after the interview aired that the latter “didn’t actually mean murder” and that it was a “figure of speech.”

In suspending the SMNI shows, the board cited the need to “prevent the possible repetition of these alleged infractions which may pose a negative impact on public welfare, ethical considerations, and the overall reputation of the broadcasting industry.”