Philippines' MTRCB Gives 'It's Showtime' Week to Address Vice Ganda Joke Complaint

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) ordered the producers and broadcast partners of the no‑ontime program “It’s Showtime” to submit a verified joint position paper and a concrete compliance plan within seven days. The directive follows complaints that a July 24 episode’s “Memerimar” skit, featuring host Vice Ganda, contained racist, colorist and otherwise offensive material, including a water‑spraying incident involving a girl‑group member.

The board also required the show to appoint an on‑air compliance officer to monitor live segments and to adopt stronger safeguards for improvised comedy. No formal ruling or suspension has been issued yet; the case remains pending. Vice Ganda apologized on the July 25 broadcast and, amid continued social‑media backlash, reportedly took a brief week‑long vacation from the program.

Representatives from ABS‑CBN Corp., GMA Network Inc., Zoe Broadcasting Network Inc. and ALLTV attended the MTRCB hearing, which cited Presidential Decree No. 1986 as the governing authority.