Edu urges malls: Stop selling child porn videos

Officials of the Optical Media Board (OMB), the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) appealed yesterday to owners and administrators of shopping malls in Metro Manila to stop the sale of pornographic materials, especially films that exploit children.

OMB Chairman Edu Manzano, MTRCB Chairman Ma. Consoliza Laguardia and Catholic Church leaders inspected several shopping malls to remind the owners and management to prohibit stall owners in their establishments from selling pornographic videos of children and pirated DVDs.

This developed as the Senate retained the proposed P25-million budget for the OMB despite the complaints of some senators regarding the alleged poor performance of Manzano.

Manzano said the sale of these materials inside malls brings perverts closer to children.

“Can you imagine when you go to the malls with your kids and there are these perverts all around you? By selling child pornography, you’re encouraging child molesters to come to your malls,” Manzano added.

“We appeal to mall owners to please stop selling child pornographic materials. If you’re selling pirated DVDs, for sure, there’s always child porn,” he said.

Manzano cited previous raids conducted by the OMB on video stalls at Virra Mall in Greenhills, San Juan, where 30 percent of the confiscated items were pirated pornographic DVDs and VCDs, and half of the lewd videos were child pornography.

Manzano and the other officials inspected video shops at the Circle C mall on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, St. Francis Square in Pasig, Makati Cinema Square, Metrowalk in Taguig, and the sidewalk stalls in Quiapo, Manila.

Laguardia expressed support for the move and said pornography “destroys the moral fiber of our country.”

She also warned the mall owners they could be held liable if pornographic materials continue to be sold in their establishments.

Laguardia said that aside from violations of provisions on anti-piracy, the mall owners could also be charged with violation of Republic Act 7610 or the anti-child abuse law.

“But if they (establishment owners) cooperate with OMB, their liability is lessened,” Laguardia added.

“The MTRCB’s function is to review and classify materials. And I can say that pornography is definitely illegal because these materials don’t pass through the MTRCB (review and classification) process,” she said.

CBCP spokesman Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said the bishops support the ad-hoc committee on anti-pornography created last August, and called child pornography a huge violation of children’s rights.

He said that traders and workers involved in this business cannot cite their need to survive.

“The right of the child prevails over the right of the owners (of stalls selling pornographic materials),” he said.

“The right of the child to dignity is superior to the right of their (businessmen’s) right to trading,” he added.

Manzano had talked with Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz to urge the CBCP to issue a letter to the parishes to encourage people not to patronize pornographic materials.

Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. said he would no longer push for the zero budget of OMB that would effectively abolish the agency at the bicameral conference committee, which would harmonize the versions of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the proposed appropriations measure.

The Senate passed on Tuesday the proposed P1.227 trillion budget for 2008 with the P25 million for OMB included.

And despite being at odds with Manzano, even Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. said he would not support the removal of budget for OMB because the film industry, not Manzano, would suffer if piracy would not be curbed.

The word war between Revilla and Manzano started when the senator was irked over the failure of Manzano to show up for a scheduled raid against stores selling pirated DVDs in Quiapo, Manila.

“I do not want him (Manzano) to think that just because I find him boastful, I will try to get even by striking off the OMB budget. By doing that, the more we won’t have any defense against piracy and that is the real enemy. In fact, I am going to personally beg before other senators not to remove the OMB budget,” Revilla told reporters.

In a press conference, Revilla also called on Manzano to stop his personal attacks against him.

Aside from Villar, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile also lashed out at Manzano for disrespecting Revilla as senator.

Revilla challenged Manzano to just focus on his work to improve his performance instead of hitting him non-stop. Revilla said he would also not ask for Manzano’s resignation. - with Aurea Calica