Although gay Filipino comedian Vice Ganda apologised on Wednesday to GMA 7 Vice President for News Jessica Soho for joking about her weight problem and her possible gang rape if she were a sexy actress, the issue is far from over.

Because of the controversy created by the weight and rape joke gone bad, the Philippine government agency tasked with oversight over the TV industry said it will call the attention of TV programmes that bring comedy bar humour on national TV.

Vice Ganda's brand of comedy is precisely that since he was a comedy bar host before he was given a break in TV and movies produced by his mother network, ABS-CBN. Comedy bar humour often pokes fun at the physical characteristics of comedy bar customers.

Vice Ganda has the top-rating Ganda Gabi, Vice, a late Sunday night show that has all the elements of comedy bar humour and claims to be the trending capital of the Philippines.

There is some element of truth in that claim since Vice has more than 1 million Twitter followers and he is a literal cash cow (err ... make that horse because of his equine features) for ABS-CBN and Star Magic, the movie arm of the TV network.

Two of Vice's recent movies - Sisterakas and Praybayt Benjamin - broke box-office records in Philippine cinema, while his noontime variety show, Showtime, is also rating well and raking in advertising money.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) warning is definitely in response to the Internet and public furor created by Vice Ganda's joke about Jessica Soho. And given his two regular and popular TV shows, he runs the risk of offending more people with his jokes, which a growing number of Filipinos are finding to be too crass.

One such local viewer offended by Vice's brand of comedy bar humour is pabanjingbanjing, who posted in a GMA forum that the gay comedian is not a class act and is annoying.

"I understand that people have varied tastes in entertainment and many will go out of their way to see Vica Ganda in a so-called concert. I do not watch TFC (The Filipino Channel) whenever Vice Ganda is on TFC and I do not wish to be with him within a 100 feet radius," he wrote.

Ariel Plasabas found Vice's apology, seen below, insincere, and he pushed that the comedian be banned from TV.

However, that would be one move that ABS-CBN would not likely make since Vice, despite the controversy, is one of their cash horses. But the MTRCB could use its power and sanction Vice as it had previously suspended a former ABS-CBN host, Willie Revillame, who is notorious also for cracking offensive and lewd jokes on national TV.

Even Ms Soho, who has accepted the comedian's apology, was quoted as saying, "I sincerely hope and pray that this was done with the purest intention and determination to put this issue behind us."

Vice said he learned a lesson from the incident and promised to be more careful with his jokes. However, he insisted that he will not change his comedy style despite it being considered offensive by a growing number of Filipinos.

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