House exec brings up ‘morality issue’ in ABS-CBN’s previous shows

MANILA, Philippines — House Minority Leader Benny Abante on Monday rose questions on the morality of ABS-CBN considering the kind of content they air on their shows.

During the joint House panel hearing on the media network’s franchise, Abante cited several scenes in its shows that he took issue with, including the “steamy car love scene” of love team James Reid and Nadine Lustre in primetime series “’Til I Met You.”

He also raised foul language used in series “Pangako Sa ‘Yo” as well as a “degrading” scene in a 2014 episode of noontime show It’s Showtime involving comedian Vice Ganda.

“Are we to assume that if given another 25 years, these are the type of programs you will continue to air?” Abante asked officials of ABS-CBN.

“Have you forsaken contemporary Filipino cultural values and morality in favor of ratings?” he added.

To answer, ABS-CBN chief of operations for brodcast Cory Vidanes assured lawmakers that the media network complies with the classifications of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

She also assured that the network’s shows reflect moral and spiritual values of the Filipino family. The network will likewise continue to be “responsible content producers that make a positive influence on the lives of Filipino and give hope to the Filipino audience.”

“We tell stories that teach life lessons, and our stories embody Filipino values, hard work, honesty, respect, resilience, and most of all love for fam, country and God. Ang sentro ng aming mga kwento ay ang pamilyang Pilipino,” Vidanes said.

“If there are infractions, we correct them right away and definitely we apologize to the audience,” she added.

JPV