MANILA (UPDATED) - Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) hosts Lorraine Badoy and Jeffrey “Ka Eric” Celiz will not spend Christmas in detention at the House of Representatives.

They walked free before 7 p.m. on Tuesday after the House Committee on Legislative Franchises unanimously voted in a closed-door special meeting to lift the detention order against the two hosts, citing “humanitarian reasons”.

Committee Chairperson and Paranaque 2nd District Representative Gus Tambunting and House Secretary General Reginald Velasco signed the release order for the two SMNI hosts on Tuesday afternoon.

Last week, Celiz was cited in contempt by the House panel after he refused to disclose his source of erroneous information on House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s alleged P1.8 billion travel expenses. Badoy, meanwhile, was cited in contempt due to alleged discrepancies in her statements regarding her show’s advertisers.

Tambunting said Celiz on Monday gave him the name of his source. Celiz also wrote a letter to the panel seeking for reconsideration of the detention order against him and apologizing for his behavior during Tuesday’s hearing. Tambunting said Badoy was also “remorseful”.

“They are free to go. This is not a furlough. We lifted their detention. If they are needed in the future, we will just call them back,” the House panel chair told the media.

“Sinabi naman nila verbally sa akin na alam nilang may pagkukulang sila. As far as they are concerned, they are also both remorseful, at sila ay nagsisisi rin. Pasko ngayon, at for humanitarian reasons, hindi naman kailangan ‘yan ay magkaroon pa ng— humingi ng sorry o anuman. Kami na mismo ang nag-decide na sila ay pakawalan pareho. In the spirit of Christmas, we are giving them both the freedom to leave their detention cells,” he added.

Upon release, the two SMNI hosts asserted that constitutionally-guaranteed rights should be respected even by those in authority.

Badoy even criticized the lawmakers at the lower House.

“They came kasi to us and said that you have to write a letter of apology before we release you. I said no to that. We were very ready to spend our holidays here away from our family. When you have congressmen like that who are abusive and arrogant and who flout the laws of the land and our constitutional rights, then our country is in great danger,” she said.

“Ang karapatan ay hindi pwdeng labagin lalu ng makapangyarihan sa pamahalaan. Ito ay dapat ginagarantiya, nirerespeto at sinisiguro na hindi nalalabag lalu nang may hawak ng kapangyarihan. That’s the message kung bakit namin tiniis ang hunger protest for 7 days," Celiz said.

“Ang aking paghingi ng kapatawaran sa komite ng Kongreso ay hindi dahil ako ay nagtanong nang maling datos, sapagkat ang pagtatanong mali man o tama ang datos sa public expenditures ay karapatan ng mamamayan at mamamahayag. I apologized for my disrespectful behavior. Sa pagsigaw ko ng kangaroo court sa kanila, pagkat yun ay burst of emotion… I should be more professional in asserting my arguments,” he added.

Celiz denies naming 'source'

Tambunting said they were able to verify the identity of Celiz’s source, who works at the Senate. But the lawmaker said it is up to the upper chamber to look into the motive of the source for giving wrong information about the House Speaker.

“Na-verify. This is a special meeting I called after I verified, and the Senate President has been informed about it. The person exists in the Senate… Nagtatrabaho sa Senado, sumusweldo sa gobyerno, pero hindi siya empleyado o staff ng senador… Siya ay source ni Eric, so tingin ko dapat ang mag-deal diyan ay Senado. Siya dapat ang mag-imbistiga doon sa paano niya nakuha ang ganyang storya na walang katotohanan at fake news,” Tambunting said.

Celiz, however, denied revealing any names to Tambunting.

“Story niya ‘yun. I did not reveal any names. So sabi niya may ni-reveal na names. We talked about it. Sabi niya in confidence ay papakinggan niya ako. I did not expect na may sasabihin siyang mga bagay na lalabag sa confidence ng aming pag-uusap. If Congressman Tambunting said na may source siya na sinabi ko, story niya ‘yun,” he told the media.

SC PETITIONS

Tambunting denied that the panel’s move to release the two SMNI hosts was prompted by the petitions filed by their spouses before the Supreme Court.

“There is jurisprudence that the House can do this. I am of the belief na hindi rin naman bibigyan ng due course, with all due respect. Sa dami ng jurisprudence na ang kapangyarihan to give contempt is a power vested with Congress, sa ating Konstitusyon. We have to understand that we’re independent branch,” Tambunting said.

Badoy and Celiz’s legal counsel said the release of his clients will render the habeas corpus petition before the Supreme Court moot, but not the petition for certiorari.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo. But ang issue dyan, paano ‘yung 7 days na nakulong sila. Mababawi pa ba ‘yan? 7 days na walang kain, hindi kasama ang pamilya. Sobrang lungkot dito… Tuloy ang certiorari, but of course ‘yung habeas corpus wala na kung lifted na talaga yung pag-detain,” Atty. Mark Tolentino said.

“We believe that there is grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess jurisdiction on the part of the committee,” he added.

The House panel expects to tackle on January the bill filed by 1RIDER Party List Representative Ramon Gutierrez seeking to revoke SMNI’s franchise.

• Lawmaker wants SMNI franchise revoked

Tolentino said they are ready to defend SMNI’s franchise.

“Palaban. We are prepared to defend the franchise na ipinagkatiwala sa amin… walang violation,” he said.

VP DUTERTE EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR BADOY, CELIZ

In a separate statement, Vice President Sara Duterte expressed her gratitude to those who supported Badoy and Celiz.

"Maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga Pilipino na sumuporta at nakiisa sa laban nina Dr. Lorraine Badoy at Jeffrey ‘Ka Eric’ Celiz," she said on Wednesday.

"Kahanga-hanga ang tapang at tatag na ipinamalas nina Dr. Badoy at Ka Eric para ipaglaban ang ating karapatan at itaguyod ang ating Saligang Batas," Duterte added.

Duterte also thanked retired members of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for supporting the call for Badoy and Celiz' release.

"Kinikilala natin ang mga magigiting na retired Philippine Military Academy Alumni at mga dating meyembro ng Armed Forces of the Philippines na naglabas ng matapang na panawagan para sa pagpapalaya ng dalawa," she said.

"Ang panawagan ng PMA Alumni at mga kawal ng AFP ay paalala rin sa kahalagahan ng kaayusan, integridad, at maayos na pamahalaan," Duterte added.

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