At the recent budget hearings in Congress, Lala Sotto, chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, requested an additional P5 million in the 2024 budget for her agency, purportedly to be used as honorarium for the MTRCB's board members.

Specifically, the request conveyed to Congress was for additional funds covering an "honorarium of P10,000 for every board meeting [that] shall be given to a board member for his/her attendance amounting to P5.20 million per year".

Many netizens, already irate at the MTRCB for its decision to suspend the popular noontime show "It's Showtime", scored Sotto's request for additional funding for meetings by her agency's board members.

Among those who registered their protest online was actor Romnick Sarmenta, who pointed out in a tweet: "Mam…. di po nila kailangan yung honorarium. Tinanggap po nila yung pwesto eh. Obligasyon po pag attend sa meeting, hindi po kailangan ng may pampalubag-loob" (Maam, they don't need the honorarium. They willingly accepted their posts. It's their obligation to attend meetings without incentives).

The request was on top of P19 million requested by the agency for "developmental activities". Sotto cited a new MTRCB campaign that needs to be funded, the 'Responsableng Panonood Campaign' where "we involve the parents, equipping and empowering them to be able to be able to be responsible for the viewing habits of their children," said Sotto.