(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.
In 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.
“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. However, 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.
“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.
(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.)
The “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.
“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.