Nakarating na sa Senado ang mga kontrobersiyang kinahaharap ngayon ng MTRCB.
Sa budget hearing ng Senado para sa Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) at Movie and Television Review and Classification Board ngayong araw, September 27, 2023, tinanong si MTRCB Chairperson Lala Sotto tungkol sa mga isyung may kinalaman sa noontime shows na It’s Showtime at E.A.T.
Pasakalye ni Senator Jinggoy Estrada kay Sotto, “Mainit na topic kasi ngayon ay… marami kasing phone-in questions sa akin. Actually, these are not my questions, regarding the suspension of It’s Showtime.”
Kasunod na tinanong nito ay ang pakikipagpulong ni Sotto sa Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas, Inc. (KSMBP).
Ang samahang ito ang nagsampa ng kasong kriminal laban kay Vice Ganda at partner nitong si Ion Perez, na bahagi ng Kapamilya noontime show na It’s Showtime.
Sabi ni Estrada, “In a statement, you confirmed that MTRCB met with the Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas, Inc. last August 24. Can you place on record the agenda and purpose of the said meeting?”
Paliwanag ni Lala, courtesy call lang ito at bahagi ng kanyang trabaho na humarap sa iba’t ibang tao at grupo na nais siyang makausap.
Aniya, “Oh, it was just a courtesy call, Mr. Chair. I attend to and I give in to almost everybody who would like to have an audience with me.
“And so they express their support for the agency. They were very supportive also of the amendment to the charter.
“They believe that we should expand our jurisdiction, and they did mention that they would file a case against the hosts of Showtime.
“And we made it very clear that that is on them and that we will not be participating.
“Because Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity, that we feel it is my chance to make it clear also, that there is no reason for us to fear filing a case against anyone if we feel the need to.
“We don’t need to ask anyone to file a case for us if we wanted to.”
Natalakaya ba nila sa meeting ang suspension ng It’s Showtime?
“Not that I recall,” tugon ni Lala.
Ipinasa naman ni Lala ang pagpapaliwanag sa abogado ng ahensiya at MTRCB board member na si Atty. Paulino Cases Jr. dahil nag-inhibit na raw siya pagdating sa lahat ng mga reklamong may kinalaman sa noontime shows.
Napag-alaman namang physically present siya sa botohan ng board tungkol sa suspension ng It’s Showtime dahil nataon daw na ito ay board meeting ng ahensiya.
Pero hindi raw siya nakisali sa botohan at diskusyon.
Unanimous decision din daw ng board na suspendihin ang It’s Showtime.
Mayroong 30 board members ang MTRCB at isang vice-chairperson.
Saad ni Lala, “To make it clear, it was a unanimous decision for the board to suspend. They only voted upon the number of days, which was 12 days and 6 days.”
Sabi naman ni Atty. Cases, maglalabas sila ng desisyon sa loob ng linggong ito matapos nilang matanggap at masuri ang motion for reconsideration ng It’s Showtime management.
IT’S SHOWTIME, E.A.T. ISSUES
Naitanong din kay Lala ang reklamo ng iba na masyado raw matagal ang 12 days suspension ng Kapamilya noontime show.
Saad ni Senator Jinggoy, “Meron din pong nagsasabi na the suspension of 12 airing days was too severe, well, maybe [to] some sectors. Can you enlighten to us, this committee, how the sanction is arrived at?”
Tugon ni Lala, “Mr. Chairman, there are also a lot of people suggesting to cancel the show. We consider other people’s comments, too. That is not the only comment that we received saying that 12 days suspension is too much.
“There are also a lot who were saying that the show should be cancelled or the number of days [suspension] should be extended.”
Kasunod namang tinanong ng senador si Lala kung kumusta na ang reklamo tungkol sa pagmumura ni Wally Bayola sa “Sugod Bahay mga Kapatid” segment ng E.A.T. ng TV5 noong August 10, 2023.
Bahagi ng E.A.T. ang ama ni Lala na si Tito Sotto.
Ayon sa MTRCB chair, pinadalhan nila ng notice to appear ang E.A.T. management at kaagad daw tumalima ang mga ito. Humingi rin daw ng paumanhin ang pamunuan ng TV5 noontime show.
Maglalabas daw sila ng resolusyon ukol dito.
Kasunod na isyung tinanong ni Jinggoy ang tungkol sa “lubid” joke ni Joey de Leon.
Binasa pa nga ni Senator Jinggoy ang artikulo ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) na lumabas noong September 24 na may titulong “Netizens call out Joey de Leon for “lubid” joke on ‘E.A.T.’; dare MTRCB to step in.”
Tinanong niya ang MTRCB officials kung may masama ba sa nabanggit ni Joey at kung may violation ba rito dahil hindi raw siya nakakapanood ng mga noontime show.
Tugon ni Atty. Cases, “We are not in a position to state right now Mr. Chair [if there was a violation] because we already took cognizance of the complaints that we received in our official social media.
“So, we are now going to discuss it after the legal affairs division, bring the same matter to the attention of the adjudication committee.”
Sabi pa ni Lala, “Mr. Chairman to add to that, The E.A.T. production voluntarily appeared before the MTRCB the very next day with an apology letter on Monday, not the next day, to enter into a dialogue with Atty. Cases, the chairman of the adjudication committee.”
