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Senators split on MTRCB move to allow ‘Barbie’ in PHL; DFA agrees with board

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SENATORS gave mixed reactions to the decision of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to allow viewing of the live-action movie “Barbie” despite expressions of outrage over its alleged depiction of China’s controversial “ninedash-line” claim in the South China Sea.

Senator Francis Tolentino, who had formally written the MTRCB to ask for the ban, said he was “saddened” by MTRCB’s decision, but added that he respected the agency.

However, Senator Grace Poe, a former MTRCB chairman, fully agreed with MTRCB’s decision and praised its thorough process in vetting the film, including consulting with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

DFA issued a separate statement on Wednesday, hours after the MTRCB revealed its decision to allow “Barbie” exhibition in Philippine cinemas. The DFA said it appreciates the opportunity given by the MTRCB for a joint screening of the movie “to ascertain if the depiction of the imaginary world map is inimical to the national interest, in the context of adherence to the UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] and the 2016 Arbitral Award.”

After carefully reviewing the film, the DFA said it is “not convinced that the lines shown depict anything more than a fictitious path, in an imaginary world map.”

Poe satisfied

GUESTING at the Kapihan sa Senado, Poe said she was satisfied with the MTRCB’s explanation of how it reached a decision to reject the clamor to ban, as stated in a letter addressed to Tolentino by MTRCB chief, Diorella Maria Sotto-Antonio.

I’m sad it comes as we mark the seventh anniversary of our victory” in the arbitral tribunal where Manila filed, in 2013, a claim against Beijing’s “excessive claims” with the nine-dash-line, Tolentino said, partly in Filipino, in a video statement released to media.

Tolentino noted that “MTRCB said the film, showed an 8-dash line,” referring to a part of Sotto-Antonio’s letter saying a closer examination showed the paper held up by Barbie pertained to her “journey” and it was really a “child’s crayon drawing” that showed eight dots, not nine lines.

However, Tolentino said, regardless of whether it was “seven, or eight, or nine lines” shown, what is clear to him is “China’s continuing efforts to grab our territory.”

Poe had a different view. She thinks the MTRCB was right in concluding there was no intent by Warner Bros., Barbie’s producer, to play into Beijing’s propaganda line. She agrees it was an innocent portrayal of the main character’s (Barbie’s) fantasies about her journeys.

If the MTRCB bans it, that would be “censorship,” said Poe.

In her letter to Tolentino, MTRCB chair

Sotto-Antonio said, “the film underwent two meticulous screenings with the MTRCB. The first screening involved a full review of the film, including discussions and deliberations by the members of the Review Committee.”

After thorough deliberations by the Review Committee, “we immediately requested the film’s distributors, Warner Bros. to blur controversial lines in order to avoid further misinterpretations.”

Still, “due to the controversial nature of the film, we have also consulted with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Solicitor General regarding the matter,” Sotto-Antonio added.

A s such, she said, a second screening was conducted by the Board along with the representatives from the DFA and the OSG in order to fully ascertain and determine if the said lines depict the “nine-dash line.”

Legal expert

THE MTRCB also “sought the opinion of a legal expert on the West Philippine Sea during the deliberations in order to gather as much resources to arrive with a fully informed decision regarding this matter. The controversial scene in the movie shows the controversial scene in the subject film. In it, there are four dash lines on a map drawn in a child-like manner. The dashed lines appear in multiple locations within the map surrounding Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia,” MTRCB explained. She noted that the dash lines attached to

22 countries show solidarity with PHL in SCS arbitral award

Continued from A18 n end interference with the freedoms of navigation and overflight of states lawfully operating in the region.”

A ustralian Ambassador Yu noted China’s continued activities in the South China despite the ruling.

“It’s been seven years and we still continue to see the behaviors that we don’t want to see.” But, she added, this is no reason “to stop cooperating and stop working for what we believe in. We can’t give up. we have to remain united and work together to create a region that we want to live in.”

She said Australia is not just showing solidarity to the Philippines on asserting its maritime entitlements but also “walking the talk” by giving support such as military exercises and training to Philippine Navy and Coast Guard.

Laure Beaufils, British Ambassador to the Philippines, said they also plan to deploy another aircraft carrier to the South China Sea in 2025.

A sked if sending more troops to the South China Sea would heighten the tension, Ambassador Yu said this is not so. We are doing two-pronged approach— deterrence and diplomacy.What we are doing is form of deterrence we have to show we capability to protect our national interest and if like-minded countries come together to do that, of course the effect of it should be greater,” the Australian diplomat said.

M anila welcomed the statement of a land mass labeled “Asia” is not U-shaped, and has eight dots/dashes instead of nine. Moreover, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia are not visible on the map. This, she explained, “is in stark contrast to the maps found in the banned films “Abominable” (2019) and “Uncharted.”

She also quoted Warner Bros. Film Group as saying in an exclusive interview with Variety that, “The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing.. The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real.’ They insisted that the lines were “not intended to make any type of statement.”

Nonetheless, Sotto-Antonio assured Tolentino “the MTRCB is firm, as per its mandate under Presidential Decree No. 1986, that when there is clear portrayal of films/television of scenes injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines such as the ‘nine-dash line’ we will not hesitate to ban said materials.”

She added: “Conversely, if the material does not pose such a threat then, in the spirit of fairness and objectivity, we will not impose a ban on such materials. The Board believes that all things considered, it has no basis to ban the film ‘Barbie’ as there is no clear nor outright depiction of the ‘nine-dash line’ in the subject film, in comparison to films such as ‘Abominable’ and ‘Uncharted.’” support from countries. computer science, or other relevant fields; must be able to communicate effectively, verbally and written, in both English and required language; experience in any of the following; o java (java ee, java se, spring, Nodejs) o JavaScript o sap o net o Cobol o angular; knowledgeable in back-end programming language/framework and willing to work on holidays, weekends, shifting schedules and extended working hours.

T he MTRCB Review Committee gave the film a Parental Guidance (PG) rating, which means that viewers below 13 years old must be accompanied by a parent or supervising adult.

“ We are honored that the Award stands as a beacon whose guiding light serves all nations,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said. T he Chinese Embassy in Manila has yet to make a statement. The Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing has in the past said the Permanent Court of Arbitration has no jurisdiction over the maritime claims and does not recognize the ruling invalidating its claim in the oil-rich South China Sea.

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