Producers of the noontime program “It’s Showtime” must answer before regulators on July 29 after the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) ordered them to a hearing over a segment that viewers condemned as demeaning to a performer’s skin tone.
In a two-page notice to appear, the board said it acted on a volume of complaints filed by the public together with findings from its Monitoring and Inspection Unit. The material under review is the “Memerimar” portion of the show’s “Laro Laro Pick” segment, which aired July 24, 2026.
The order carries the signature of MTRCB Chair and CEO Lala Sotto-Antonio, issued under the authority of the board. It directs GMA Network Inc. and ABS-CBN Corporation, through their representatives or counsel, to appear at the MTRCB Building at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Respondents were also told to bring an original copy of the proof of authority to represent them.
At the center of the complaints is comedian and lead host Vice Ganda. The “Memerimar” bit parodies the classic teleserye “Marimar,” with Vice Ganda in character opposite Baby Dolls member Johaira Morris. During the routine, the host spat water at Morris and delivered a line that reputable outlets including radar and PhilStar Life reported as: “Anong nangyari sa iyo? Ba’t nagputik ka?” Critics online read the remark as tying dark skin to dirt, a trope they said the program should not have aired. Separate objections were raised over an exchange in the same skit involving Vice Ganda and co-host Ion Perez.
The board framed the matter as a possible breach of Section 3(c) of Presidential Decree No. 1986, which bars the broadcast of programs that run contrary to law, good customs, public order, or public morals, or that are otherwise objectionable. That provision governs what the MTRCB may sanction on television.
Vice Ganda addressed the uproar before the July 25 episode ended, telling the audience the show’s hosts had taken the feedback seriously. “Nakarating po sa aming kaalaman na may mga madlang people po na hindi nagustuhan o na-offend sa ilan sa aming jokes o biruan dito sa Showtime, pati na rin sa mga ginagawa namin sa Memerimar,” he said, before adding, “Humihingi po kami ng paumanhin sa inyo and we will try to do better.”
The MTRCB warned that if the respondents fail to show up, the board will treat their absence as a waiver of the right to present evidence, and will decide the case using whatever records it has on hand.
