A RADIO program co-host of former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile in the beleaguered Sonshine Media Network International’s dzAR stationhinted that he was considering transferring to another station which shares his political advocacies.
In an interview, businessman Jesus Arranza, chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), said they were “forced by circumstances” to end their program’s decades-old run at SMNI.
Enrile and Arranza have been jointly hosting the radio program “Dito sa Bayan ni Juan” for over 20 years.
He explained that they initially joined SMNI, the broadcast media arm of Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC), as block-timers but their show later became a co-producer with the network.
“Dito sa Bayan ni Juan” has served as a platform for the FPI’s Buy-Pinoy, Buy-Local movement, as well as its efforts to combat smuggling, which has proven detrimental to local manufacturers.
FPI was touted as the voice of the local manufacturing sector.
Arranza recalled that Quiboloy was so pleased with having Enrile in his network, prompting him to decide that the radio show would be co-produced by SMNI to financially unburden its producers.
However, their association with SMNI “has become untenable for a number of reasons not the least of which is that it is currently off the air,” Arranza said.
He added that while SMNI was still able to broadcast online, a huge portion of the program’s mature audience prefers to tune-in via traditional radio or television.
Arranza declined to comment on whether Enrile’s current role as chief presidential legal counsel of the Marcos administration influenced their decision to part ways with the network that is closely associated with former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte has had a very public falling out with the incumbent leadership.