Acting Chairman Thomas Orbos of the Metro Manila Development Authority came to the defense of the Metro Manila Film Festival selection committee that approved the controversial independent film “Oro” which showed an actual killing of a dog.
Orbos said the committee acted in good faith even as Senator Vicente Sotto III threatened to conduct an investigation to determine why the MMFF team approved the movie.
“If you see a scene that a man was killed, the presumption is they did not actually kill the man. So the selection committee asked the filmmakers if there was an actual killing and they replied there was no killing,” said Orbos, whose agency is the supervising body of the annual film festival.
“Based on that and in good faith, we allowed them to be shown and that’s it. The authority of the MMFF lies in the actual process of selection. They lied and that’s our issue, and of course we do not condone the killing,” he added.
The MMDA chief said he has discussed with members of the animal welfare groups a possible agreement to ensure that existing laws on animal welfare protection are upheld.
On Wednesday, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society filed a complaint before the Pasig City Prosecutor against the director, producers and the production manager of Oro in connection with the slaughtered dog in the movie.
If found guilty, the respondents could face a penalty of up to two years imprisonment plus a fine not exceeding P100,000.
“It is with great dismay and shock to learn that the Oro filmmakers had resorted to such violence, brutality and cruelty against such a poor, defenseless and innocent animal,” Paws executive director Hashim Cabrera said.
“That despite being in a learned and educated society that has even established laws to protect the welfare of all animals, still, said Oro filmmakers had found it necessary and commercially expedient to serve their business of filmmaking to commit such cruel and illegal acts,” she added.