ABS-CBN believes that the decision made by the MTRCB to suspend “It’s Showtime” for 12 days lacks both factual and legal grounds.
In a motion for reconsideration document obtained by LionhearTV, the Kapamilya network meticulously scrutinized the agency’s decision, asserting that it lacked a valid legal basis.
In its decision the MTRCBclaimed that the act of the hosts licking icing using their fingers was suggestive and confusing to the audience, especially children in the studio and at home, potentially causing harm to them.
“The act of ‘licking a cake icing using the fingers of the hosts are suggestive and may be confusing to the audience and the children who are present on-site and/or watching in their homes considering that they are learning these acts from adults and would result in harm to these children’,” said MTRCB.
However, ABS-CBN argued that the MTRCB failed to provide any legal basis for its decision, particularly regarding how and why the program violated the Parental Guidance standards as stated in PD 1986.
“The Decision is bereft of factual and legal basis as to how and why the subject conduct violated the Program’s Parental Guidance (PG) classification,” said ABS-CBN.
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The network contended that the MTRCB’s decision lacked factual and legal support in terms of whether the conduct in question involved serious issues, constituted swear words or strong sexual expletives, included nudity, depicted sexual activity, presented horror scenes, or depicted prohibited drugs.
According to the PG standards, the content should be suitable for children aged 13 and below, with very mild swear words allowed, no expletives or sexual context permitted, occasional natural nudity without sexual activity acceptable, graphic depiction of sexual activity prohibited, glamorization of weapons and crimes and prolonged violence not allowed, mild and brief horror scenes permitted, and glamorization of the use of prohibited drugs not allowed.
Based on ABS-CBN’s position paper, the scene in “It’s Showtime” where Ion Perez and Vice Ganda licked the cake icing did not violate the aforementioned PG guidelines, as it did not involve serious issues, swearing or sexual expletives, nudity, violence, horror, or the depiction of drugs.
Meanwhile, after MTRCB has denied It’s Showtime’s motion for reconsideration, ABS-CBN decided to forego its right for another appeal to the Office of the President and yield to the suspension order which will commence on October 14 until 27.
