Vice Ganda and Ion Perez. Image: Instagram/@praybeytbenjamin
“It’s Showtime” was called to testify by the Motion Picture and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) after receiving complaints about “troubling scenes” depicting alleged indecent acts by hosts Vice Ganda and Ion Perez.
MTRCB, chaired by Diorella “Lala” Sotto-Antonio, issued a “Notice to Appear and Testify” to the producers of the midday show on Monday, July 31, citing the celebrity couple’s gestures during their “Isip Bata” segment during his episode last Tuesday, July 25.
“Such scene violates Section 3(c) of Presidential Decree No. 1986. The hearing date is scheduled for July 31, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the MTRCB office on Timog Avenue, Quezon City,” said MTRCB.
In the embattled segment, Vice Ganda and Pérez reportedly shared a tender moment, where the latter offered his partner icing on the cake using his finger. A clip of the couple was shown in a video uploaded to ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel.
With a big smile, the “Praybeyt Benjamin” star responded to his gesture by brushing the frosting off Perez’s finger before putting it in his mouth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TusXegA5ZAk
The couple’s interaction caught the attention of the internet personality. rendon labadorwho pointed out that his timing was “out of place”.
“Wala namang masama na magbaklaan kayo, but sana ilugar ninyo ang kahayupan! Huwag sa show ng mga bata… May MTRCB pa ba? Nag-eexist pa ba sila? Galaw galaw mga chief (There’s nothing wrong with being sweet on air, but know the right place for your debauchery. Don’t do this on a kids show. Does MTRCB still exist? Time to move),” he said in the comments of the ABS-CBN Entertainment video.
The producers of “It’s Showtime’s” and ABS-CBN have yet to issue a statement as of this writing.
However, on June 26, Vice Ganda posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, about a certain person who would choose to become toxic just to stay relevant.
Kung anu ano na talaga ang pinapasok and ginagawa ng ilang tao for lang sumikat no? Yung kahit magpakatoxic kakaririn nila basta makaamot lang ng relevance. How pathetic! How sad! It’s not motherhood!
– José María Viceral (@vicegandako) July 26, 2023
While Vice Ganda did not name who he was referring to, it was widely speculated to be Labador due to the latter’s caustic comments the day before. edv
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