Cebu City focuses drive vs. pornographic DVDs

CEBU, Philippines – The campaign against the selling of pirated digital video discs (DVDs) may not be a priority of the Cebu City government, but there will be an intensified effort against pornographic material sold by the same vendors.

Mayor Michael Rama yesterday ordered the Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board to step up its drive against pirated discs containing pornography.

He made this statement during ceremonies held at City Hall destroying about 6,000 pieces of pirated discs that were confiscated by CAIB from vendors.

CAIB chairperson Lucelle Mercado said that they did not apprehend the vendors during the operation, but they just confiscated the discs that had pictures of nude men and women on the cover that were being sold at P50 each.

The lead government agency tasked to apprehend vendors of pirated movies and confiscate their products in the Optical Media Board (OMB).

The policemen cannot just apprehend the sellers of the pirated movies as they need to be deputized by the OMB to do the same.

Without the official order from the OMB, the police are not authorized to confiscate the discs, but the CAIB was able to confiscate the ones containing pornography as it is the body's key function.

The vendors and makers of the counterfeit products could face charges for violation of Republic Act No. 9239.

The operators of the movie houses in Cebu City have earlier complained because only few persons go to their establishment because the pirated DVDs are already sold even if the shows are not yet shown in the theaters. - /NLQ (FREEMAN)