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2007 Press Releases
July 9, 2007
This refers to Fel Maragay’s column “First Crack” last
Saturday on 7 July 2007 issue of the Manila Standard entitled “Where
revamp is afoot.” The article mentions an alleged
unfavorable feedback on the performance of my public functions
as MTRCB Chairperson. Each item therein has been maliciously
written and calculated by the columnist to make it appear
that my ouster as MTRCB Chairperson is imminent and necessary
because of the alleged “mismanagement and immorality” in
the office. Such allegations are absolutely untrue,
fabricated, and libelous.
First, Maragay claims that President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo wanted to transfer me to the Land Bank of the Philippines
as early as 2005. The author is so presumptuous to
make such false allegations as if he knows and makes decisions
for the President of the Philippines on appointments of
public officials and on matters which are entirely left
to her discretion. Moreover, if any transfer is indeed
made, this would constitute for me a promotion in recognition
of my expertise and technical competence. To continue
serving my country and President Arroyo, although in another
capacity, would comprise a challenge in continuously improving,
and raising the standards of excellence, in rendering selfless
service to our people.
Second, Maragay claims that I am presently under fire
from my fellow MTRCB officials who are now accusing me
of abuse of authority. There is no such formal complaint
nor accusation of abuse of authority, whether pending in
the Office of the Ombudsman, the Civil Service Comission,
or any quasi-judicial or government office for that matter,
except from Maragay’s malicious insinuations in his
unverified column. He also claims that there are
disgruntled Board members and employees of the MTRCB alleging
that I have committed acts of impropriety and other irregularities. I
have not committed any acts of impropriety or other irregularities
and the only disgruntled Board members or employees are
those facing administrative charges. To further belie Maragay’s
accusation, almost the entire staff of the MTRCB, with
very few absences, attended the team-building session held
last Friday, 6 July 2007, at the Meralco Training Center
in Antipolo.
Third, Maragay mentions the classification for Solar Film’s “Transformers”,
which was given a “General Patronage” rating
by MTRCB. He makes it appear that I personally intervened
in an alleged reclassification of subject film. In
correcting Maragay’s false allegations, Board Member
(BM) Edmund Sicam submitted his individual report giving
the classification of “Parental Guidance-13” on
the movie and affixed his signature on the Committee report,
as the Committee initially agreed on a “PG-13” classification
due to the unacceptability of one-time use of the term “masturbation” for
a “G” classification. However, when
the applicant was called for a conference, as required
by the MTRCB Rules and Regulations, BM Sicam walked out
of the screening room before any decision was reached after
the conference. The MTRCB rule clearly states:
“Section 2. COMMITTEE ON FIRST REVIEW. – xxxxxxx
The Committee shall confer with the applicant or his duly
authorized representative before writing the committee
report or decisions. With leave of the committee,
the applicant may re-edit his material to suit the rating
he is seeking. The committee report or the decision
shall then be rendered upon submission of the edited
material and the deleted portions to the same committee
for checking. The decision shall clearly state the result
of the voting of the members and the particular reasons
for the majority opinion.”
Realizing that the film’s representative had a valid
proposal for the voluntary deletion and/or “bleeping” of
the term “masturbation”, the remaining Board
members, particularly Ricardo de Leon and Cristina Concordia,
gave the rating “G” subject to “checking”,
which requires the movie’s rescreening. When
BM Sicam heard about this classification, he withdrew his
individual report and his signature from the committee
report. Because of this development, I could not
summarily approve the committee report and the movie’s
permit to exhibit without checking the voluntary deletions
made by the movie’s distributor or authorized representative. I
merely sustained the findings and validated the decision
of the two remaining members of the First Review Committee.
Their decision on a G or GP classification should be respected
as it constitutes a collegial and majority decision.
In responding to Maragay’s queries and correcting
his erroneous observations, I did not reclassify the movie “Transformers.” I
did not insist on any reclassification as Board Members
Cristina Concordia and Ricardo De Leon already came up
with their own classification of “G”, which
even BM Sicam will certainly attest to as he had withdrawn
his signature from the committee report because he realized
that Concordia and De Leon were overturning their own prior
ruling of PG-13. I did not intervene in the ruling
of Concordia and De Leon nor did I order them to reclassify
the movie. Moreover, I did not favor the distributor
Solar Productions, owned by Wilson Tieng, as I have had
no personal nor professional dealings or transactions with
said producer. The constitution of the Review Committee
is well within my professional discretion and the approval
of the rating given by the Review Committee is mostly ministerial. Rescreening
of movies are allowed in cases where checking is necessary
as provided by MTRCB Rules and Regulations.
In the ultimate analysis, the redeeming values of tenderness,
love and loyalty as the primordial thematic content of
the movie “Transformer” justified a “G” rating
despite the visual depictions of war, gunfight and robotic
stunts, which are quite innocuous even to children in contemporary
cinema. I decry the malicious and ill-intentioned
insinuations of Maragay that I have been “making
hay while the sun is shining”. The truth
is that I remain as financially modest as I was when first
appointed MTRCB Chairperson. Any such innuendo of
Maragay to the contrary are the creations of an overly-fertile
imagination.
In fairness to the MTRCB which has been derogated by Maragay’s
insults, I request that this letter be published in its
entirety.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
MA. CONSOLIZA P. LAGUARDIA
Chairperson
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