The
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has expressed
concern over a new hit soap opera about a woman who finds out her
husband is having an affair with another man.Executive secretary of the CBCP's Episcopal Commission on Youth Father Kunegundo Gargantaang warned the producers of My Husband's Lover to adhere to the moral standards of the Catholic Church.
‘In-depth studies should be done by new soap operas like My Husband's Lover which should take into account our country has a culture that values morality,' the priest told Catholic radio station Radyo Veritas.
My Husband’s Lover has been praised in the Philippines for its groundbreaking treatment of LGBT issues and has lead to the coining of a new Filipino word, ‘bekiserye,’ translating to ‘gay television series.’
Following Father Gargantaang’s comments the Office of the President of the Philippines urged people to report any breaches of broadcast rules to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) but would not single out My Husband’s Lover for criticism.
‘The MTRCB acts fast when it receives complaints from parents,’ Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte told Tempo.
‘We encourage the parents to the MTRCB if they see a program that does not comply with the rating given.’
The MTRCB has given My Husband’s Lover a Strong Parental Guidance rating.