MTRCB urged to review 'Elcano And Magellan' for possible ban, cut version
MANILA, Philippines — The Movie Television Review and Classification Board was urged on Friday by a congressman to conduct a “strict review” of the animated film “Elcano And Magellan, The First Voyage Around the World,” criticized on social media for supposedly glorifying Spanish colonizer Ferdinand Magellan.
Rep. Lawrence Fortun (Agusan del Norte) said a ban or removal of certain scenes in the movie may be warranted “to prevent a possible bastardization of the memory and heroic legacy of Lapu-Lapu and his people who first resisted Spanish rule in the Philippines.”
“There are apprehensions that our cherished hero Lapu-Lapu might be depicted as a villain in this movie, and we, as Filipinos, cannot allow such a lie to be propagated right on our very own soil,” Fortun said in a release.
“What can make matters even worse is that the movie caters primarily to young audiences, especially, children.”
The movie, produced by the Spanish production house Dibulitoon Studio and distribution-production company Barton Films, is set for release in Philippine cinemas in January 2020.
Elcano and Magellan is the “[s]tory of one of the most incredible adventures ever happened: the first trip around the world,” according to the film’s synopsis posted on the Internet Movie Database.
Lapu-Lapu and his men thwarted Spain's first attempt to colonize the Philippine archipelago during the Battle of Mactan in 1521.
Fortun said that Philippine history experts should be consulted so the review would have an “in-depth perspective.”
“While we acknowledge the importance of the circumnavigation of the world to human history, may its retelling not devalue the admirable courage shown by early Filipinos in fighting for freedom and independence,” the solon said.
The film’s local distributor Crystalsky, in response to negative comments, said the film should be given a chance.
“It is sad that a lot of people already judge the movie without seeing it. In this time and age, we hope people need to base their reactions on facts,” the organization said in a Facebook comment on the post of the slammed movie poster.
Malacañang on Thursday said the banning of the film is under the jurisdiction of the MTRCB.
“We will not want to preempt the jurisdiction of that agency,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
Similar controversy
The DreamWorks animated film "Abominable" was pulled out of Philippine theaters by the MTRCB in October due to its depiction of a controversial map of China.
The said map shown in the film contained China’s "nine-dash line," legally invalidated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Netherlands. The term refers to literal dash marks in maps of China that allege its claim to around 80 percent of the resource-rich South China Sea.
“MTRCB understands the situation brought about by the movie ‘Abominable.' We wish to assure the public that the said movie is already off the Philippine market effective October 15, 2019,” chair Rachel Arenas said.
China has maritime disputes in the South China Sea with the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
Over $5 trillion in trade passes yearly through the waterway.
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