The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) held a compliance seminar on Monday, July 6, for the team behind the primetime action-drama series Sigabo following a wave of viewer backlash.
The regulatory body noted it had received over 10 public complaints regarding the show’s intense violence since its premiere on June 22.
Audience members raised concerns over the frequent depiction of physical brutality, torture scenes, heavy fistfights, and explicit dialogue. The controversy has ignited a wider debate on whether television standards for primetime violence need to be re-evaluated.
The dialogue, held at the MTRCB headquarters in Quezon City, was attended by representatives from Coco Martin’s CCM Film Productions, ABS-CBN Studios, and Dreamscape Entertainment.
MTRCB Chair Lala Sotto clarified that the session aimed to support the creators while maintaining broadcasting standards.
“I just want to make it clear that the reason why we are having this compliance seminar today is because we want to help you, we want to help drive the production. We want you to understand where we are coming from and we want a better understanding also of the production,” Sotto remarked.
While Sotto acknowledged the potential social relevance of the show’s plotlines, she emphasized that artistic liberty has its boundaries.
“Magiging very socially relevant, I’m sure, ‘yung mga scenes at ‘yung mga magiging storyline. Which we understand and we fully support. But there are always limitations. Lahat ng bagay, may limitasyon,” she added.
Led by MTRCB Vice Chair Juan “Johnny” Revilla alongside board members Robert “Bobby” Andrews, Ricardo “Jojo” Salomon, and Eloisa Matias, the seminar was conducted under the agency’s “Responsableng Paggabay” initiative.
Representing CCM Film Productions, Malu Sevilla welcomed the feedback and the opportunity to align with the regulators.
“We are all here to help this industry. So kung itinataas mo ang level ng entertainment at medyo nag fa-falter kami, we appreciate the help,” Sevilla said.
Sigabo currently carries a Strong Parental Guidance (SPG) rating due to its mature themes, explicit language, and aggressive scenes. The show broadcasts weeknights at 8:00 PM on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, ALLTV2, TV5, Kapamilya Online Live, and iWantTFC.