October 12, 2023
Dear Mr. Garay:
Greetings from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB)!
Thank you for your request dated 27 September 2023 under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch.
YOUR REQUEST:
You asked for the following information:
1. Number of complaints raised to It’s Showtime.
2. Documents that lead to the summon.
3. Verifiable records that show the number of people requesting to cancel the show.
RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST:
As of January to September 2023, and based on the materials reviewed by the MTRCB:
1. In 2023, there has been a total of thirty-one (31) complaints filed to the Legal Affairs Division against "It's Showtime!".
2. Kindly see the attached file from the Legal Affairs Division. Please be advised that we redacted part of the Notice to Appear document in compliance with privacy laws.
Please be informed that, among other functions, the MTRCB’s Monitoring and Inspection Unit (MIU) is primarily tasked to monitor programs to ensure their compliance with their respective rating classifications in accordance with the Board’s rules and regulations, as well as its mandate under Presidential Decree No. 1986.
Please note that any administrative complaint for violation of our specific mandate, Presidential Decree No. 1986 (P.D. No. 1986) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), are endorsed to the MTRCB’s Hearing and Adjudication Committee. The Committee is composed of members of the Board who are known experts in various fields (e.g., legal experts, entertainment industry experts, etc.).
In accordance with procedural due process, respondents are given an opportunity to be heard through physical hearings and submission of their position papers in which all relevant evidence necessary for their defense are attached. It bears stressing that decisions issued by the Committee emanate from their own consideration of the individual merits of each case, applying the standards and guidelines of P.D. No. 1986 and its IRR.
In line with this, the Decision regarding the suspension of “It’s Showtime!” was made after due notice and hearing, and upon careful consideration of all relevant circumstances of the case.
3. Kindly see the attached file from the Legal Affairs Division.
YOUR RIGHT TO REQUEST A REVIEW:
If you are unhappy with the response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing to MTRCB Chairperson Diorella Maria Sotto-Antonio at MTRCB Building, 18 Timog Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City and/or reach us through our email address at:
[email protected].
Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response and should be made within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review and inform you on the result within thirty (30) calendar days from the date when we receive your review request.
MTRCB Building, No. 18 Timog Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines 1103
Tel. No.: (632) 8376-7380 │ Email:
[email protected]
If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s.2011).
YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT TO US:
We greatly appreciate your FOI inquiry. Please do not hesitate to reach us through (632) 83967380 and look for Mr. Robbi Ramos, FOI Receiving Officer, should you need further assistance.
To help us improve our services, we would also encourage you to copy the link below and open it to your URL or address locator for you to access and answer the Feedback Form, for us to know how we assisted/served you.
https://bit.ly/MTRCBFOIFeedback
Thank you and we wish you the best in your research study.
Respectfully yours,
ATTY. MAMARICO L. SANSARONA, JR.
Executive Director and FOI Decision Maker
