Lala Sotto of MTRCB Addresses the Issue Involving Vice Ganda, Axel, and Christine
LALA SOTTO – The chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) addressed the complaints against It’s Showtime after Vice Ganda publicly reprimanded a participant on the show.
In response to Vice Ganda’s refusal to apologize to Axel Cruz, many netizens called for the MTRCB to suspend It’s Showtime once again. During the May 31 episode of It’s Showtime, Vice Ganda scolded Axel, saying, “Oy, hindi pwede yun, that’s bad! Don’t do that, you ask for permission. Alam mo bang pwede kang mademanda sa ginagawa mo? Don’t do that, hindi ka pwedeng biglang nagnanakaw ng halik,” when Axel seemed to be attempting to kiss Christine on national television.
Entertainment reporter and talent manager Ogie Diaz inquired about Lala Sotto’s opinion on the incident. She responded positively, stating that she believed Vice Ganda acted appropriately in the situation. “I don’t have an official statement. But, in my opinion, the hosts acted appropriately in the given situation,” Lala said.
Ogie Diaz noted that Lala Sotto seemed cautious in her statements, likely due to the backlash she faced after leading the suspension of It’s Showtime in the past. Previously, It’s Showtime was temporarily taken off the air because of actions by Vice Ganda and Ion Perez during a segment intended for children.
It can be recalled that “EXpecially For You,” a segment on the noontime program It’s Showtime, has been making headlines in the past few days. The controversy between Axel, Christine, and Vice Ganda began on June 3, 2024, when Axel attempted to steal a kiss from Christine. He was called out by Vice Ganda for his behavior. Vice initially expressed his intention to apologize to Axel but later retracted the apology, maintaining that Axel’s actions were inappropriate, despite Christine’s claim that she was not offended.
Vice explained that while they respected Christine’s public statement that she was not offended, it was important to address Axel’s behavior because every woman has the right to object if she feels uncomfortable. Vice maintained that acknowledging Christine’s true feelings was crucial, even if she publicly said otherwise.