Is MTRCB promoting Satanism, blasphemy?

An anti-pornography group condemned yesterday the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) for approving some films that the group said promote Satanism and blasphemy.

Among the films which the Philippine Alliance Against Pornography Inc. said should not have been approved for public viewing were the critically acclaimed "Brokeback Mountain" and "Munich."

During yesterday’s Fernandina Media Forum in Greenhills, San Juan, anti-porn alliance spokesman and board of trustee Aldo Filomeno said the MTRCB was "cannibalistic and cruel" for allowing children to watch films with sex, nudity and excessive violence.

At the same time, he urged parents, the youth, Church and media to help in the campaign to boycott films that are rated PG-13, R-13 and R-18.

In his statement, the anti-pornography advocate cited films such as "Hostel," "Casanova," "Munich," "Derailed," "Vendetta," and "Brokeback Mountain" as promoting "unhealthy" ideas to children, as well as adults.

"Hostel," rated R-18 for adults only, should be considered "porn" and is patterned after Playboy, Filomeno said.

He cited the film’s depiction of nudity, including breast and pubic hair exposure and graphic group sex.

But it was the violence that earned his ire. "This is the most sadistic film in history. People were tortured and killed including vivid cutting of fingers, toes, leg, neck and head. People were butchered, chop-chop style, like pigs and burned into ashes," said Filomeno.

"Hostel" also depicts scenes of a slaughterhouse with blood overflowing and vomiting everywhere. It also showed scenes of children crushing the heads of two men.

The film was reviewed by Lawyer Eric Mallonga and Betty Molina.

"Indeed, this film promotes Satanism without due respect to God, life and children," said Filomeno.

"Casanova," rated R-13 and viewable by ages 13 and older, depicts a nun having sex with a man within the confines of a convent. "Casanova" also depicts group sex, oral sex, as well as a bishop and his assistant torturing three men, said Filomeno.

The film was reviewed by MTRCB reviewers Mallonga, Molina and Carmella Padilla, Filomeno said.

Due to its revenge theme, "Munich," rated R-13, was cited for its "
"dehumanizing and traumatizing effect of violence on man." There are also exposures of breasts and pubic hair.

The film was reviewed by MTRCB reviewers Marra Lanot, Lucia Orense and Ricardo de Leon.

"Derailed," rated R-13, depicts rape, graphic sex, marital infidelity, harsh words, sadistic scenes, as well as a man assuring his victim of many rounds of sex.

The film was reviewed by MTRCB reviewers Joey Romero, Edmund Sicam and Teresita Villarama.

"V for Vendetta," an R-13 movie, is a film about a crusader against evil injustice and corruption of society which galvanizes an entire country to rise up against the government. Some violence and images of naked corpses may be traumatic to children. The film was reviewed by MTRCB reviewers Molina and Butch Bautista, he said.

In "Brokeback Mountain," rated R-18, there are scenes of nudity, torrid kissing between two men, sexual acts between homosexuals for 20 years, marital infidelity, graphic sex and the showing of women’s breasts.

The film was reviewed by MTRCB reviewers Mario Hernando, Orense and Bautista.

"The approval of these films is unconstitutional, illegal and immoral. It only shows that the MTRCB is inutile, drunk with power, cannibal and cruel, when it insisted that these films are good for children," Filomeno said.

He also criticized the MTRCB for issuing press statements that these films are done in good taste and have redeeming values.

"Tell it straight to the faces of Pontius Pilate and Judas Iscariot. This is blasphemy at its worst and total abuse against the innocent children," he said in a letter to MTRCB Chairwoman Consoliza Laguardia dated March 20, 2006.

He said the highly questionable approval of these films is an extreme violation of Presidential Decree 1986, the law creating the MTRCB.

The law empowers the MTRCB to approve and disapprove, delete objectionable portions from and/or prohibit the importation, production, sale or distribution of motion pictures applying Filipino cultural and moral values as a standard.

The law also mandates them to do the same to films that glorify criminals or condone crimes, and those which serve no other purpose but to satisfy the market for violence or pornography, Filomeno said.

Filomeno appealed to the Office of the Ombudsman to file criminal charges against erring officials of the MTRCB.

"The agency has committed acts of betrayal. This is unconstitutional, illegal and immoral. Worse, the MTRCB totally abused the moral, spiritual, psychological well-being of children," he said.

Filomeno also said they had lobbied with Congress to reduce the MTRCB’s budget to one peso.