Labella meeting CAIB on porn drive

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella is meeting with the City Anti-Indecency Board  on its anti-pornography campaign after the Cebu Citizens Press Council opined that the body may have exceeded its mandate in its recent operation.

“CAIB has its duty and mandate to… protect the morals of our people in the city of Cebu. But in doing so, importante sad nga we will not go beyond the mandate that has given us,” he said.

Labella said he will ask City Administrator Lucelle Mercado on the process they observe in their operation.

“While we have to efficiently implement the mandate given them, but we have also see to it that we will not go beyond the bounds of the mandate,” he said.

Mercado earlier defended their operations, saying the confiscated magazines were “obviously pornographic.”

The CCPC said CAIB might have exceeded its mandate in confiscating 237 magazines containing “lewd photos and stories.”

CCPC said that only the Supreme Court and not CAIB should determine if a material is obscene or not.

Labella said he will talk with Mercado on the opinion of the CCPC as to the body’s authority in judging the obscenity of the confiscated materials.

Last June 13, CAIB confiscated 38 copies of FHM, 186 of Cosmopolitan, 11 of Maxim, and two Kamasutra materials during an inspection of a BookSale outlet in SM Cebu at the North Reclamation Area.

Mercado said CAIB always observes due process in its every inspection and operation.

Last July 5, CAIB has also confiscated 391 DVDs, which included x-rated films at stalls in the city’s streets, but the team failed to capture the people responsible for the selling and reproduction of the illegal items.

Mercado said that the board will hold a meeting on how to control the distribution and reproduction of the pornographic materials.

“Dili pa namo ma-divulge karon kay basin og ma-preempt among plans how to go about it,” she said.

Mercado said that despite the criticisms, CAIB will continue to function with its mandate even with the commentaries of different agencies, adding that they will always follow the legalities in their operations. — (FREEMAN)