Nilinaw ni MTRCB Chairperson Lala Sotto na walang katotohanan ang alegasyong "pinag-iinitan" ng MTRCB ang ABS-CBN nang patawan nito ng 12-day suspension ang Kapamilya noontime show na It's Showtime.
"I don’t understand why it would be called pagpupuntirya or pinag-iinitan when we are not the ones committing violations here.
"Our job as a regulatory body, as a national government agency, is to tell our stakeholders that you have your limitations. You have your classifications and you’re going overboard.
"You’re going beyond the classification that is given to you, and therefore, you’re committing a violation. That’s all we’re doing here," pahayag ni Lala.
Eksklusibong nakapanayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Lala sa pamamagitan ng Zoom interview noong September 8, 2023.
Patuloy niya, “So, kapag ang isang show or ang isang programa ay may mga ginagawang violation, it’s our duty and responsibility to make it known to them.
"To inform them na meron na silang violation."
Mainit na pinag-uusapan sa social media ang 12-day suspension na ipinataw ng MTRCB sa It's Showtime.
Read: MTRCB suspends 'It's Showtime' for 12 days
May ibang netizens ang umaalma na napupuntirya ang ABS-CBN.
Sinasabing kung noong 2020 ay ibinasura ng Kongreso ang renewal of franchise application ng network, ngayong 2023 ay mainit daw sa mata ng MTRCB ang flagship program ng Kapamilya network.
May ibang netizens ding nagparatang na may bias umano si Lala dahil anak ito ni dating Senator Tito Sotto.
Si Tito ay isa sa sikat na triumvirate na Tito, Vic, and Joey—main hosts ng E.A.T., ang karibal na programa ng It's Showtime na umeere sa TV5.
Aware si Lala sa mga batikos sa kanya at sa MTRCB na pinamumunuan niya.
Pahayag niya, "And again, hindi kami ang unfair kasi, kami naman ang dyina-judge dito.
"But, we know how to respect other opinion. So, let them be kung yon ang opinyon nila."
Nanindigan si Lala na walang ibang motibo ang MTRCB sa pagsupinde sa It's Showtime.
"But, we’re just humbly doing our job," katuwiran niya.
"As I mentioned earlier, I don’t work alone. We have a board. And the board has a very diverse composition.
"We have board members who are lawyers. We have a lot from the media. We have directors, we have TV producers. We have editors. We have a child psychologist.
"We have parents. We have housewives na board members. We have a journalist.
"So, we have a representative from different walks of life.
"And the board will always base their judgment on their own appreciation and opinion of the materials given to them, whether it’s a movie, a television program, or a complaint.
"And of course, considering the 7-Point Guideline of the P.D. 1986 and the contemporary Filipino cultural values are concerned."
Ang "P.D. 1986" na binanggit ni Lala ay ang Presidential Decree 1986 o batas na bumuo sa MTRCB.
Ipinaliwanag ni Lala na ang Board ng MTRCB ay binubuo ng chairperson, vice-chairman, at 30 members.
"It’s just that, there is a decision to suspend the show as recommended by the adjudication committee.
"Ang pinagbotohan na lang is the number of days. Yun lang ang pinagbotohan ng board."
Ayon sa elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph, nakapaloob sa Chapter 8 Section 46 ng Implementing Rules and Regulations ng MTRCB na ang Hearing and Adjudication Committee ng ahensya ay binubuo ng at least three members "designated by the Chairman."
At least one member ng committee ay kinakailangang abogado.
Ang hearing and adjudication committee ang nagre-review ng isang complaint na walang direktang pag-amin ng charge mula sa alleged offender.
Sa pagpapatuloy ng panayam ng PEP.ph, idiniin ni Lala na nag-inhibit siya sa botohan sa bilang ng araw na dapat masuspinde ang It's Showtime.
Read: MTRCB Chair Lala Sotto, di kasama sa mga bumoto sa 12-day suspension ng 'It's Showtime'
"Yes, I do have the right to inhibit, even with the proceedings, kapag I feel na I should inhibit.
"So, kapag noontime shows, I inhibit myself from participating in the adjudication process."
Tila ito ay para maiwasan ang isyu dahil ang ama niyang si Tito at tiyuhing si Vic Sotto ay nasa E.A.T.
Ayon kay Lala, "I was appointed [as MTRCB chair in] July 2022, my father, of course, was in [E.A.T.] already."
Sabi rin niya: "I'm just here to shepherd the Board.
"Of course, I will take full responsibility for everything that’s going on in MTRCB. As a leader, that is my duty and responsibility naman.”
Nang tanungin kung kumokonsulta siya sa ama na si Tito pagdating sa trabaho, sinabi ni Lala na hindi siya sumasangguni rito.
"No, parang we didn’t get to that point because we [at MTRCB] have a P.D. 1986 to follow.
"And kahit na anong sabihin mo, I have a very strong board. They’re all professionals.
"They’re all very intelligent. They’re all very active. They have their own opinions and they’re all appointed by the President as well.
"And they, of course, perform their duties as Board Members."
ON E.A.T.
Sa panayam ng PEP.ph, sinagot ni Lala ang alegasyon ng netizens na diumano'y hindi patas ang MTRCB dahil hindi raw ito nagpapataw ng suspension sa ibang programa na may alleged violations.
Isa na rito ay ang pagmumura ng Dabarkads na si Wally Bayola sa E.A.T. noong August 10.
Read: MTRCB summons 'E.A.T.' for violation following Wally Bayola’s swearing in "Sugod Bahay"
Reaksiyon ni Lala: "Yung nangyari kay Wally?
"We gave them a notice to appear and even before the adjudication, they’ve already apologized. They said sorry.
"Other than that, I cannot discuss anymore because the case is not yet finished."
Wala pa raw desisyon ang MTRCB ukol sa isyu.
Ang tanging siniguro ni Lala ay wala raw kinikilangan ang MTRCB pagdating sa pagsusuri ng content ng TV shows.
Binibigyan daw ng MTRCB ng warnings ang ibang TV programs, kabilang ang ibang noontime shows, kung may alleged violations ang mga ito.
Pero ayaw na raw niyang magdetalye ukol dito.
“Yes, it would be very improper for me to call them out right here or to name names," ani Lala.
Read: Lala Sotto addresses backlash against MTRCB amid 'It's Showtime' suspension
NIP-SLIP INCIDENTS ON IT'S SHOWTIME, EAT BULAGA!
Natalakay rin sa panayam ng PEP.ph ang hiwalay na nip-slip incidents sa It's Showtime at Eat Bulaga!, ang isa pang noontime show na umeere naman sa GMA-7.
July 14 nang aksidenteng dumanas ng wardrobe malfunction si Regine Tolentino habang sumasayaw sa It's Showtime.
Noong araw ring iyon ay humingi ng paumanhin si Regine sa pamamagitan ng kanyang Facebook post.
Umaksiyon din ang It's Showtime sa pamamagitan ng pag-delete ng portion na iyon sa YouTube channel ng ABS-CBN.
Read: Regine Tolentino on nip slip on 'It’s Showtime': “I was so terrified and humiliated.”
Komento ni Lala ukol dito, "Si Regine, immediately nag-public apology also. They didn’t receive a warning. They just got a memo or reminder.”
Sabay binanggit ni Lala na may nip-slip incident din ang isang host sa Eat Bulaga!.
Tila ang tinukoy ni Lala na wardrobe malfunction sa Eat Bulaga! ay iyong kay Dasuri Choi noong Hulyo.
Agad daw nagpadala sa MTRCB ng letter of apology ang produksiyon Eat Bulaga! noong araw na umere iyon.
Dagdag ni Lala: "But of course, all productions are reminded naman to please take care of all your talents and hosts.
"Dapat pinangangalagaan natin sila and be careful also with the costumes that are going to wear during their performance."
WHAT IF VICE GANDA, ION PEREZ ISSUE AN APOLOGY?
Kung pagbabasehan ang maagap na paghingi ng paumanhin sa nip-slip incidents sa It's Showtime at Eat Bulaga!, pati na rin ang paghingi ni Wally ng paumanhin nang magmura ito sa E.A.T., makakatulong din ba kung sakaling humingi ng sorry sina Vice Ganda at Ion Perez kaugnay ng cake-icing incident?
"Honestly, I personally think that, yes, it will help," sagot ni Lala.
"But siyempre, may kanya-kanyang pag-iisip ang Board. Hindi ko naman kontrolado ang kanilang kaisipan. Pero yes, makakatulong talaga."
May ibang netizens na nagkomento kung bakit hindi sina Vice at Ion ang sinuspinde, sa halip na buong programa, dahil sila naman daw ang sangkot sa cake-icing incident.
Ipinaliwanag ni Lala na hindi saklaw ng mandato ng MTRCB ang hosts ng isang programa.
"Because truthfully, ang nasa charter namin, we are not to suspend the hosts. We never suspend hosts.
"We only suspend the production. That’s why the show is suspended.
"Ang pinapatawag is the production because, according to law, according to our charter, we are not to suspend the host," paglilinaw niya.
Dugtong pa ni Lala: “That’s why, kahit sa notice to appear, hindi pinapatawag dito ang host.
"Yung kababaang-loob na lang yon ng artists, even with other shows kasi, kababaang-loob na lang ng artists, kapag sumasama sila at nagbibigay-pugay or humihingi ng paumanhin.
"May mga artista kasi tayong ganyan na mabababa ang loob, humihingi ng paumanhin, pasensiya.
"May mga ganon kasi talaga. Kusang-loob nila yon. Hindi sila pinapatawag ng MTRCB."