The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has found probable cause to charge “T3 Kapatid Sagot Kita,” aired on TV5, with violating a law “for airing scenes and utterances that were indecent and contrary to law, or with a dangerous tendency to encourage the commission of violence, or of a wrong or crime.”
Acting on numerous complaints and based on its monitoring, the MTRCB has scheduled the case for hearing on May 10 at 10:30 a.m.
In a statement, MTRCB Chair Mary Grace Poe Llamanzares said her office was also endorsing the matter to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas for appropriate action on the TV personalities involved, referring to Erwin, Raffy and Ben, younger brothers of Inquirer columnist and radio host Ramon Tulfo.
Not TV5 policy
Erwin, Raffy and Ben in an episode of “T3 Kapatid Sagot Kita” on Monday night said they would exact revenge on show biz couple Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barretto for ganging up on their eldest brother at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on Sunday.
News 5 assured the public and all parties concerned that the statements made by the Tulfo brothers in its program on May 7 “were unscripted, spontaneous and do not in any way reflect the stand nor the policy of the network, its management, staff and employees.”
“While we understand the emotions at play during the broadcast, News 5 does not and will never condone such behavior,” the network said in a statement.
News 5 said the brothers’ behavior “was not only uncalled for but also runs counter to the established Code of Ethics that we all strictly adhere to.
“We are taking necessary actions to deal with this lapse in judgment on the part of the Tulfo brothers and assure the public that we remain committed to objective and impartial journalism,” it said.
A lawmaker said he was disturbed by the three brothers’ impudence.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino earlier called on the MTRCB to reprimand the hosts of “T3 Kapatid Sagot Kita” and ABC 5 broadcast network for violating its guidelines on media propriety.
“The public deserves quality TV programming, not the ghastly, nauseating type of entertainment disguised as public service,” said Palatino in a text message.
Like the video of Ramon being ganged up at Naia 3, the six-minute T3 segment was uploaded to YouTube hours after the broadcast. But administrators of YouTube later took the file down, saying the clip “was not available due to a copyright claim by ABC Development Corp.”
In the segment, the show’s hosts expressed displeasure at what befell their brother whom they held in high regard.
The younger Tulfos’ braggadocio did not sit well with their aggrieved brother.
After his brothers aired their threats, Ramon gathered them at the studio and spoke against the words they unleashed against Santiago and Barretto.
“I told them that revenge is the lowest form of retaliation,” Ramon told the Inquirer yesterday over the phone. “Going through that mode of retaliation is based on antiquated laws of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
“What should prevail is the law of Jesus of Nazareth, the one that says if one slaps you on the left cheek, you should offer your right cheek as well. But I think that is a poor analogy,” he said. “I said to them there should be no revenge.”
After saying his piece, Ramon said his brothers realized their mistake. The columnist said an apology to the public was “forthcoming” from the brothers. With reports from Gil C. Cabacungan and Miko Morelos