Vice Ganda and Ion Perez are confronted with a fresh legal hurdle, as the Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas, Inc. (KSMBPI) has officially lodged a criminal complaint against them. According to reports, KSMBPI submitted the case to the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on the preceding Monday, which falls on September 11.

As detailed in a report by Cebu Daily News, KSMBPI has asserted that both individuals are suspected of breaching Section 6 of Article 201 within the Revised Penal Code, in addition to contravening the provisions outlined in Republic Act No. 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code addresses the penalization of immoral doctrines, obscene publications, exhibitions, and indecent shows.

Meanwhile, Republic Act No. 10175 encompasses the penalization of similar acts conducted with the aid or utilization of technology.

During a telephone interview with the Inquirer, Attorney Leo Olarte, who introduced himself as the president representing KSMBPI, expressed their objective of compelling ABS-CBN to take down the video containing the ‘icing’ scene from its social media accounts.

“Our ultimate goal is for ABS-CBN to take down the particular video on its social media accounts, such as YouTube and other platforms,” Olarte said during the phone interview.

According to an Abante report, the case originates from an incident involving Vice and Ion during the ‘Isip Bata’ segment of ‘It’s Showtime’ on July 25, 2023. During this segment, the two hosts were seen consuming icing with their fingers. This act garnered criticism from certain netizens and groups who deemed it indecent, leading to their subsequent complaint against the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

Following the case’s review, the MTRCB imposed a 12-day suspension on ‘It’s Showtime.