‘It’s Showtime’ has officially disqualified ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan Grand Resbak’ contestant Marco Adobas following a controversial social media post in which he labeled the singing competition a “cooking show,” implying that the results were rigged.
The incident stemmed from the March 26 episode of ‘TNT Grand Resbak’, where Marko Rudio and Ayegee Paredes competed in a showdown singing Rico Blanco’s ‘Yugto’ and Karyn White’s ‘Superwoman,’ respectively. Rudio emerged as the winner, with Louie Ocampo, Dingdong Avanzado, and Pops Fernandez serving as judges.
Shortly after the episode aired, Adobas, a member of Team Alon and a close supporter of Paredes, took to Facebook to express his disappointment over the outcome. He questioned the integrity of the judging, alleging favoritism and suggesting that the show had already chosen its “bet” regardless of performance quality.
Screenshots of his now-viral post quickly circulated online, drawing mixed reactions from netizens and fans of the long-running singing competition.
In response, ‘It’s Showtime’ issued an official statement on March 27, read live on-air by hosts Vice Ganda, Vhong Navarro, Jhong Hilario, and Karylle. The statement confirmed Adobas’ disqualification, citing a violation of the agreement he had signed prior to joining the contest.
“Si Marco Adobas ng #PangkatAlon ay may nilabag na alituntunin na nakasaad sa kanyang pinirmahang kasunduan. Dahilan para siya ay ma-disqualify, at hindi na magpatuloy sa kompetisyon,” the show stated.
The management also announced that they were exploring legal action in light of Adobas’ “serious accusations” on social media.
Vice Ganda took the opportunity to remind all contestants and viewers: “We can express our opinions, but let’s make sure they don’t harm others or ourselves—especially if you’ve signed a contract.”
As a result of Adobas’ disqualification, ‘It’s Showtime’ introduced Arvery Lagoring from the defunct Team Amihan as his replacement to maintain the balance of teams in the competition.
Following the announcement, Adobas released a public apology on his Facebook page, admitting that his statements were made out of emotional distress. He confirmed that he has since spoken with ‘It’s Showtime’ management to clarify the issue.
“Humingi po ako ng kapatawaran sa aking nagawa at okay na po ang lahat. Ako po ay nadala ng bugso ng aking emosyon. Sana po ay maunawaan niyo na,” he wrote.
Adobas, who first joined ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ six years ago, recently returned to the stage on March 19, 2025, as part of the Grand Resbak edition. Just days before his disqualification, he expressed excitement about his return.
His journey, however, was abruptly cut short following the controversy.
