MANILA — The ABS-CBN Cop. decided to shut down the livestreaming of the reality program, “Pinoy Big Brother 737″ (PBB).
This is amid rumors of blooming romance between two male housemates.
ABS-CBN corporate communications head Kane Errol Choa said in a press statement on Friday that the network denounced social media posts linking 18-year-old Karlo Lorenzo “Kenzo” Gutierrez and 12-year-old Bailey Thomas May.
He added that the viral photos of the housemates showing them hugging and holding hands “put the housemates in a bad light.”
“These posts are made by irresponsible netizens who maliciously take screenshots from the program’s livestream and weave a narrative that is not only far from truth, but also attempts to put the housemates in a bad light,” Choa said.
“They mislead the public by manipulating the images to put malice to otherwise innocent acts,” he said. “ABS-CBN vehemently condemns these irresponsible social media posts that malign the reputation of the housemates … We will not allow them to be subjected to cyberbullying.”
Because of this, Choa said the network has decided to cancel its 24/7 free livestreaming of PBB on cable television and online starting Friday night.
“We appeal to the public to stop perpetuating abuse and use social media responsibly,” he added.