Ronnie Liang recently voiced his concerns about the controversy involving the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the popular television show ‘It’s Showtime’ on X (formerly Twitter).
In his candid statement, Liang touched on several key points related to the issue.
Liang began by highlighting the crucial role of the MTRCB as a regulatory authority responsible for setting clear and consistent guidelines for acceptable content in the media. He pointed out that the suspension of ‘It’s Showtime’ stemmed from an incident involving Vice Ganda, one of the show’s hosts, who was seen licking icing off the fingers of co-host Ion Perez.
“In this case, they quickly suspended Showtime because Vice Ganda was seen licking icing off his co-host and partner Ion Perez’s fingers.”
(CORRECTION: Did not even happen. Only Vice and Ion licked the icing from their individual fingers.)
Liang expressed his belief that regulatory bodies should establish uniform standards to assess such situations.
However, Liang observed an inconsistency in the MTRCB’s actions, noting that similar or more explicit incidents on other shows had not been addressed with the same urgency or attention. He raised concerns about the decision-making process, suggesting that selective justice may have been applied in this case.
“There were similar or worse situations on other shows that were not addressed with the same urgency or attention. This inconsistency raises questions about their decision-making. Parang selective justice. Sorry po, pero ganun ang impression✌️”
Another issue that Liang brought up was the perceived conflict of interest involving Chair Lala Sotto, who heads the MTRCB. Sotto has familial ties to a rival show of ‘It’s Showtime,’ which led to questions about the fairness and impartiality of the board’s decisions.
Despite Chair Sotto’s claim that she abstained from the suspension order, Liang emphasized the importance of regulatory bodies being perceived as neutral and free from industry connections.
“Chair Lala Sotto’s ties to a rival show of Showtime have sparked concerns about fairness within the board. Even though Chair Sotto claimed to have abstained from the suspension order, her presence as the head of the MTRCB and her close family connections to the showbiz industry cast doubt.”
Here’s my honest opinion about the MTRCB issue with Showtime.
The MTRCB, as the regulatory body, should give clear and consistent guidelines or parameters for acceptable content. In this case, they quickly suspended Showtime because Vice Ganda was seen licking icing off his…
— Ronnie Liang (@ronnieliang) September 12, 2023
To illustrate his point, Liang used the analogy of a basketball game with a referee who is best friends with one of the players. He argued that such a situation could raise doubts about the referee’s fairness, just as Chair Sotto’s connections may cast doubt on the MTRCB’s impartiality.
“It’s like having a referee in a basketball game who’s best friends with one of the players – it just doesn’t feel right. People expect regulatory bodies to be impartial. Kapag may koneksyon ka sa industriya na nireregulate mo at kapamilya mo mismo, mahirap para sa iba na tingnan ka na neutral. ✌️uli.”
Liang concluded his statement by warning about the potential consequences of ongoing conflicts of interest and perceived bias within the MTRCB. He stressed that for the board to maintain its reputation and credibility, it must be viewed as fair and trustworthy. While Liang acknowledged that he had no personal issues with Chair Sotto, he suggested that a change in leadership might be necessary to ensure clarity, consistency, and the avoidance of conflicts of interest within the regulatory body.
