MTRCB to release this week decision on appeal of 'It's Showtime'

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) will release this week its decision on the appeal of the noontime show "It's Showtime" after the MTRCB decided to suspend it for 12 airing days.

Lawyer Paul Cases, chairperson of the MTRCB's Hearing and Adjudication Committee, the MTRCB received the petition of ABS-CBN.

“They filed a motion for reconsideration which is their right to do so within 15 days of receipt…It’s forthcoming within the week,” Cases said at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance on the MTRCB's proposed budget for 2024.

Early this month, the MTRCB suspended  "It's Showtime" for 12 airing days after several viewers lodged multiple complaints over its July 25 episode, in which hosts allegedly acted in an indecent manner in the "Isip Bata" segment.

In the segment, hosts Vice Ganda and Ion, who wed in a non-legal ceremony in Las Vegas last year, can be seen eating a cake. The complaint alleged that the scene depicted "indecent acts."

MTRCB Chairperson Lala Sotto reiterated that she inhibited from voting.

“To make it clear, it was a unanimous decision for the board to suspend. They only voted upon the number of days which is 12 days or six days,” Sotto said.

“We gave them a 15-day period for them to be able to file their motion for reconsideration because we wanted them to give a chance to cooperate with us. To enter a dialogue or at least coordinate but that did not happen. We also wanted to give them due process,” she added.

Sotto also answered criticisms that suspending the show might be “too severe”.

“There are also a lot of people suggesting to cancel the show. We consider other people’s comments too,” Sotto said. —NB, GMA Integrated News