MANILA, Philippines?For weeks now, the tell-all ?game? show, ?Moment of Truth,? has been subjecting contestants to probing and even intrusive questions about their private lives and beliefs. Viewers have either aprreciated the show?s ultra-?honest? revelations, or have been turned off by the ?shameless? way that it has institutionalized the once-taboo invasion of privacy.

Of course, the show?s exceedingly ?honest? contestants are rewarded for their candor with huge cash incentives. But, can all that money really compensate for the embarrassment, shame and even pain inflicted, not only on the contestants, but also on their loved ones?

Questions

The contestants? relatives, romantic partners and friends get sucked into the mess, because some of the questions the show asks involve them: ?Have you ever thought that your boyfriend might be gay?? ?Have you ever been sexually attracted to your best friend?? ?Do you think your father made the right choice in deciding to leave your mother?? ?Do you think your father is trustworthy?? ?Do you feel that your parents ruined your childhood??

That, in the final analysis, is what?s wrong with the show?that it affects not just its contestants, but also the people close to them.

Of course, the program?s staffers point out that some of those people are invited to the show, and can ?veto? particularly intrusive or offensive questions?but why not avoid references to them altogether?

After all, other types of questions are available, and in fact have been asked, queries that involve only the contestants: ?Have you ever taken medication for recreational purposes?? ?Have you ever had sex with a customer at your place of work?? ?Have you ever spent a night in jail?? ?Have you ever fled the scene of a car accident?? ?Have you taken a joyride in a stolen car?? ?Do you think you are a good person??

Dicey attitude

Another aspect of the show that rubs us the wrong way is its host?s decidedly dicey attitude regarding the program?s intrusive and even hurtful questions:

Once in a melodramatic while, he ?pleads? with a contestant to stop competing, because the questions coming up could be too tough or painful to handle.

In an interview, the host even shared that, if he had his druthers, he wouldn?t ask some of the most intrusive questions?but, he had to do it, because it was his job.

Excuse us for not feeling his ?pain.? Fact is, the show?s real victims are the contestants? loved ones, who are hit by the ?shrapnel? coming from their exceedingly ?honest? answers.

Even as the contestants and program host win prizes or derive income from the show, the loved ones are left to pick up the pieces of the relationships that the program?s ?lie detector? format has so ruthlessly betrayed and perhaps shattered.