MTRCB flags Coco Martin's 'Sigabo' over violence complaints
Coco Martin has long pushed to raise the bar for action on Philippine television, delivering bigger stunts, grittier fight scenes and a more cinematic style through his primetime projects. But that creative ambition appears to have drawn scrutiny, with regulators saying some viewers found his latest series, "Sigabo," too violent.
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) confirmed it held a compliance seminar with the producers of "Sigabo" on Monday after receiving more than 10 complaints following the show's June 22 premiere.
According to the MTRCB, the complaints cited the program's "persistent depiction" of violence, including fistfights, physical aggression, torture scenes and strong violent language.
Representatives from Coco Martin's CCM Film Productions, which co-produces the series with ABS-CBN's Dreamscape Entertainment, attended the seminar at the agency's Quezon City office.
The compliance seminar was conducted under the MTRCB's "Responsableng Paggabay" initiative and was led by Vice Chair Juan "Johnny" Revilla, along with board members Ricardo "Jojo" Salomon, Eloisa Matias and Robert "Bobby" Andrews.
CCM Film Productions executive Malu Sevilla welcomed the dialogue, saying it helped both parties better understand each other's perspectives.
"We are all here to help this industry. So kung itinataas mo ang level ng entertainment at medyo nagfa-falter kami, we appreciate the help," Sevilla said.
She added that the production team would take extra care to ensure future episodes comply with the board's content guidelines.
The MTRCB noted that "Sigabo" carries a Strong Parental Guidance (SPG) rating, indicating it contains mature material that may not be suitable for children without adult supervision.
According to the board, the SPG classification was based on the series' themes, violence, language, horror, drug references, sexual content, overall treatment and timeslot.