Censors lift ban on collection of human rights films

MANILA (AP) - Censors have lifted a ban on a collection of short films about human rights violations following an appeal by the moviemakers, but restricted them to viewers aged 13 and above, a member of the review board said Friday.

Last week, the Movie Television Review and Classification Board banned the collection, titled "Rights," after three board members called them biased, one-sided and said they undermined faith in the government.

On Wednesday, five other board members who conducted a second review of the films gave their approval but restricted the audience because of graphic scenes of torture, said lawyer Eric Mallonga, who headed the second review group.

The 16 films, which range in length from 30 seconds to over a minute, depict disappearances, extrajudicial killings and torture allegedly committed by security forces during the administration of President Gloria Arroyo.

One shows a man picking up his daughter from school. When the girl comes out of school, the man is gone. A message appears on the screen calling for a stop to enforced disappearances.

Mallonga said they agreed with the producers that their work involved criticism of "sociopolitical realities" already reported by the media, and were not calling for a rebellion against the government.