MTRCB lifts suspension of Tulfo brothers’ TV5 program

MANILA, Philippines—The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) on Wednesday lifted the suspension on the public affairs program “T3” of the Tulfo brothers.

MTRCB suspended the program for 20 days after the brothers uttered threatening remarks to celebrity couple Raymart Santiago and Claudine Barreto on May 7, a day after the couple figured in a brawl with Ramon Tulfo, the program hosts’ eldest brother, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

During Wednesday’s hearing, the MTRCB agreed to lift the suspension on condition that no similar utterances shall be made by the Tulfo brothers. The program, aired on TV5, will resume airing Thursday.

“The motion to lift the preventive suspension order against T3 is rendered moot and academic,” TV5 counsel Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said in a phone interview.

However, TV5’s motion asking the Court of Appeals to stop the MTRCB from conducting further proceedings on the case is still pending.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes asked government lawyers why a television show must be suspend because of the fault of its host.

Reyes asked what the parameters are before a show gets the axe for any violation.