Lala Sotto on ‘It’s Showtime’ nonconsensual kiss issue

Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chairman Lala Sotto said that “It’s Showtime” did not violate any rule in their assailed “EXpecially for You” segment incident, noting she personally believes the hosts “acted appropriately” given the circumstances.

The incident happened last May 31, when one of the segment’s searchee’s supposedly attempted to kiss the searcher on the cheek without asking for the latter’s consent.

The searcher moved from her seat, seemingly in an effort to dodge the gesture, which prompted the show hosts including Vice Ganda to call out the searchee. The comedian further told the searchee that he could be sued for what he did.

A week after the incident, Sotto gave her two cents on the matter via a statement sent to showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz. Diaz then disclosed this through a vlog on his YouTube channel on Friday, June 7.

“I don’t have an official statement. But, in my opinion, the hosts acted appropriately on the given situation,” Sotto’s message reads, with the chairperson also clarifying to Diaz that the show and the hosts committed no violation under MTRCB.

Diaz, for his part, added that the incident has drawn polarized reactions from netizens and celebrities, including Nikko Natividad and former “EXpecially for You” participant Nico Locco.

Diaz’s vlog co-host Loi Villarama also said that the management of the noontime show might need to set rules on the participants’ physical interactions to prevent such incidents in the future.

Prior to this, Vice Ganda and his fellow hosts addressed the matter, saying they would not apologize for calling out the searchee involved.

The hosts added that they reached out to the searcher—who initially said via a TikTok video that she did not feel violated by the searchee’s gesture—and were told that she indeed felt “off” over the kiss attempt.

However, after the hosts’ public statement, a video of the searcher crying and lamenting how the show and the hosts “made her appear a liar” surfaced on social media.

The parties involved have yet to release a statement as of this writing.

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