this is the news i heard in Manila News this morning:
"Teachers are just repeaters" - Osang. (Image taken from YouTube)
it's Showtime is a morning show by ABS-CBN and now currently suspended. it will not air as of today as the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) issued a 20-day suspension order. The suspension order was MRCB’s reaction to the complaints of televiewers against Rosanna Roces in a show’s episode last week. Roces, popularly known as Osang, serves as a guest judge for It’s Showtime.
In that episode of “It’s Showtime,” Osang made scathing remarks against all teachers. She said that “teachers are just repeaters” and they are not teaching the things that the students need to know. This is after she asked a contestant on why did Jose Rizal’s surname is Rizal.
Vice Ganda, another of the show’s judges, contradicted Osang in an attempt to save the show from the anger that will be generated by the comments against teachers. Vice said that not all teachers are bad teachers but there many teachers that are excellent in their profession. However, the damage has been done and many people were irked by Osang’s remarks.
Below the Belt
Many people viewed Rosanna Roces’ comments against teachers as too harsh. She treated all teachers as rotten tomatoes without considering that there are teachers who are doing their job professionally with some even sacrificing their time and comfort just to teach students in the remote areas of the country.
It is true that there are some teachers who are corrupt or do not teach their students well. There are teachers who are preoccupied with their sidelines that they forget their duties as teachers. There are teachers who use their authority to abuse their students. However, few rotten teachers are not enough to represent all teachers.
Osang’s remarks have far reaching implications since she aired her comment in national media, which is being watched by millions of viewers worldwide via ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel (TFC). Her comments might be picked by other countries and be used to brand our teachers unjustly.
Only Osang Should be Punished
The comments against teachers were made only by Osang alone. The producers and staff of It’s Showtime never supported her scathing remarks. It is clear that the show made an instant corrective action through the comments of Vice Ganda. The show’s host Anne Curtis also did not agree with Osang statements and clearly supported Vice’s views.
The 20-day suspension against It’s Showtime is too harsh and it punishes the wrong “person.” However, it should be understood that MTRCB is just doing this as an action to the complaints made by many viewers, whom it serves. The decision is now in the hands of MTRCB and the board should act justly. The corrective action of the show’s management should be taken into consideration and the suspension should be lifted.
Only Osang should be punished by the MTRCB. Osang should be the one who should be suspended. ABS-CBN should also do its own action and suspend Osang from joining any of its shows. She made too much damage for the network to bear.
Lesson to Other Shows
The suspension of It’s Showtime should bring a lesson to all media networks, members of the media, and members of show business not to say any discriminatory remarks or espouse any form of discrimination. The time when the people were too awed by celebrities had ended and people’s reaction against Osang is a clear sign will not ignore any discriminatory statements from them.
It’s Showtime’s suspension is just the latest of the many similar scandals that happened in the Philippine showbiz. Candy Pangilinan was delared as persona non grata after she made discriminatory remarks against the Ifugaos. Willie Revillame, Joey de Leon, and Cristy Fermin were all subjected to suspension by the MTRCB and their respective networks.