Welcome back to my channel, showbies! Another hot and controversial news is making the rounds on social media this week — comedian and “It’s Showtime” host Vice Ganda has been declared persona non grata in Davao City after he allegedly insulted and ridiculed former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during his concert.

What’s the whole story? Why has Vice’s name suddenly become a hot topic among Davao residents and supporters of former President Duterte? Let’s find out!

The Beginning of Controversy: A Joke That Was Not Accepted by Everyone

At a recent concert held by Vice Ganda, it seemed like the comedian couldn’t hold back his “signature jokes” — but this time, it seemed like he ran into people who weren’t laughing at his style.

Vice Ganda made a joke about former President Duterte’s “jetski promise” — the famous promise that he would ride a jetski to the West Philippine Sea to fight for the rights of the Philippines. In addition, Vice also mentioned Duterte’s being taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands — which he said seemed more “comedic” than serious in his speech.

According to those present, Vice seemed very happy with his jokes, but that was not how many netizens, especially those from Davao, reacted.

Davao’s anger: Vice is Persona Non Grata

Because of that incident, Davao City officials passed a resolution declaring Vice Ganda as “persona non grata” or an individual no longer welcome or desirable in the city. According to some local officials, this is not the first time Vice’s jokes have been “out of line,” so they are not going to turn a blind eye anymore.

“This is not about making fun. There are limits to joking, especially when the person being made fun of is someone who has served the people,” said a Davao councilor.

Many netizens agreed with this move. In the comment sections of viral videos and news posts, Duterte’s supporters are visibly annoyed. According to them, if Vice doesn’t know how to be respectful, he should just be shown that not all jokes are funny .

Netizens: “When he’s the one being teased, he acts out. But when he’s the one being rude, he laughs.”

Vice has also not escaped criticism from the public. Many have said that he “doesn’t know how to accept criticism .” When he is criticized — for example by pastor Apollo Quiboloy or other personalities — he reacts in a violent manner. But when he is the one who is being criticized, he doesn’t seem to care who gets hurt.

There was another viral comment that said:

“When he’s the one being joked about, he gets angry. But when he’s the one being insulted, he just says ‘it’s just a joke.’ Hypocrisy at its finest.”

There were also those who defended Vice

However, Vice Ganda is not without his defenders. According to some netizens, it was just a joke , and Vice is known for being frank, satirical, and humorous. They say that not everything should be taken too seriously, especially when it comes to concerts or comedy shows.

“When an artist or comedian says something, we should know that sometimes there is hyperbole. Not everything is literal. Comedy is meant to reflect society,” according to a Vice supporter.

This is not the first incident.

It should be noted that this is not the first time Vice has been embroiled in controversy over his jokes. A few years ago, he was also criticized after he made fun of broadcast journalist Jessica Soho’s body . Many took issue with the joke, including those at GMA Network, who called the joke “offensive and disrespectful.”

Although Vice apologized before, it seems that this type of issue is still recurring .

Vice Ganda: Remaining Silent

As of now, Vice Ganda has not made an official statement regarding the declaration of him as persona non grata in Davao City. His camp has been quiet and seems to be avoiding talking about the issue for now. There are speculations that this may be resolved privately, but there is no confirmation yet from his team or ABS-CBN management.

Showbies, What Can You Say?

Amidst this issue, many questions now plague the public:

Is Vice really overdoing it with his jokes?

Is it right to declare him persona non grata in Davao?

Or are we just being overly “sensitive” to jokes?

Showbiz fans, what do you think? Just comment below! Let’s just respect each other’s opinions. And of course, if you’re new to my channel, don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you’re always updated on hot showbiz news!

Thank you very much, and until the next chika!