(From left) Janno Gibbs and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. Images: Facebook/Viva Artists Agency, FILE PHOTO
Janno Gibbs stood up for VMX after Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada condemned the streaming platform for its alleged pornographic content and exploitation of its actors.
VMX is a Filipino content streaming service worldwide for Filipino produced movies, TV series, concerts and special interest titles. VMX is previously known as Vivamax, which boasts of over 12 million subscribers as of December 2024.
Article continues after this advertisementIn December 2024, Estrada condemned the subscription-based streaming service in a privilege speech for “normalizing” porn and explicit content citing its vulgar content while sharing that he received reports of alleged abuse among artists.
FEATURED STORIES ENTERTAINMENT Janno Gibbs defends VMX after Jinggoy Estrada calls out platform ENTERTAINMENT Showbiz Roundup: Vic Sotto, Darryl Yap face off in court; MMFF 2024 box office ENTERTAINMENT Barbie Imperial on what matters most amid romance with Richard Gutierrez“Are we normalizing porn on streaming platforms now? Ang mga ganitong klaseng pelikula ba ang magsasalba sa industriya (Will these films save the industry),” he said. “The Philippines is a nation deeply rooted in moral values, family traditions, and respect for human dignity. However234win, these principles are being challenged by platforms that prioritize profit over social responsibility.”
At a recent press conference for his upcoming VMX gag show, “Wow Mani,” Gibbs was asked about Estrada’s remarks against the platform. Gibbs is the host of the sexy gag show where he will moderate a series of games and gags with actresses.
Article continues after this advertisement“Senator Jinggoy is doing his job. He is doing it very well. He has all the right sa opinions [niya]. Ako, personally, opinion ko VMX is not a public viewing venue. It is a private venue. Magbabayad ka. ‘Di public eh. Naka-child lock eh, you need a card [para magbayad],” he said.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary for Integrated Sciences Carlos Primo David during a forum organized by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) said the DENR rolled out a digital application process in three regions of the country.
Article continues after this advertisement(Senator Jinggoy is doing his job. He is doing it very well. He has all the right to his opinions. Me, personally, my opinion is that VMX is not a public-viewing venue. It is a private venue. You need to pay, it is not a public platform. It has a child lock, you need a card to pay for it.)
fruit machine Article continues after this advertisementThe “Fallin’” singer reiterated that the local platform’s content is also included in another streaming service while pointing out that it became a stepping stone for its stars to gain opportunities.
“There is nothing on VMX you cannot see on Netflix. Se-censor din ba nila? Sometimes more [vulgar pa ang content] sa Netflix,” he said. “VMX gave these girls what they don’t get in other fields, mainstream. For a lot of them, this is a great stepping stone.
Article continues after this advertisement“Dami binibigay na trabaho ng VMX. Most of the movies are directed and written by well-regarded directors and writers… quality-wise maganda siya,” Gibbs continued.
(There is nothing on VMX you cannot see on Netflix. Are they being censored? Sometimes, Netflix has more vulgar content. VMX gave these girls what they could not get in other fields, mainstream. For a lot of them, this is a great stepping stone. VMX provided a lot of jobs. Most of the movies are directed and written by directors and writers. Quality-wise, it’s nice.)
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) earlier admitted it has no power to limit content on streaming platforms,” where its chairperson and CEO Diorella “Lala” Sotto-Antonio said online curated content doesn’t “fall under its mandate.”
Nonetheless, the MTRCB called the platform’s attention due to complaints about its “explicit content,” which ended with the latter saying that it would “self-regulate,” Estrada said.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
“The Philippines is a nation deeply rooted in moral values, family traditions, and respect for human dignity. However, these principles are being challenged by platforms that prioritize profit over social responsibility,” he said. “However, it seems that Vivamax is not complying with this agreement because a monitoring conducted by the MTRCB revealed that the company’s streaming platform movies are only suitable for porn sites.”
READ NEXT Barbie Imperial on what matters most amid romance with Richard... Showbiz Roundup: Vic Sotto, Darryl Yap face off in court; MMFF... EDITORS' PICK Trump arrives in Washington ahead of Monday’s inauguration Australian Open: Coco Gauff writes ‘RIP TikTok USA’ on TV camera Janno Gibbs defends VMX after Jinggoy Estrada calls out platform WPS: Deadlines, ultimatums vs China ‘monster ship’ beyond PCG mandate – Tarriela Showbiz Roundup: Vic Sotto, Darryl Yap face off in court; MMFF 2024 box office JC 2025 kick-off: Unveiling new era of wealth, innovation, global growth MOST READ Marcos urged not to interfere in VP Duterte's impeachment case WPS: Deadlines, ultimatums vs China ‘monster ship’ beyond PCG mandate – Tarriela DSWD comes to viral sampaguita girl’s aid; PNP summons mall guard PH gets $905-M loan for big Laguna project Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments