MANILA — Concerned Artists of the Philippines, supporters and freedom of expression advocates are urging the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board to rescind the "X" rating given to a  documentary about activist Jonas Burgos' abduction in 2007.

CAP, in its online petition, said the rating deeming award-winning documentary "Alipato at Muog" unfit for public viewing "severely restricts public access to a vital piece of cinema." 

It said the rating also "[stifles] free expression and [curtails] public discourse, particularly in light of its announcement days before the International Day of the Disappeared."  

MTRCB said the documentary by Jonas' brother, JL Burgos "undermines faith and confidence in the government and/or constituted authorities," which CAAP called a "blatant act of state censorship." 

RELATED: Documentary on search for Jonas Burgos among Cinemalaya 2024 finalists

"What truly erodes public trust in the government is not this documentary, but the unchecked actions of state officials," CAP said, as it referred to "recent scandals" that it said "epitomize the culture of impunity that 'Alipato at Muog' courageously addresses."

Jonas, son of Martial Law 'mosquito press' journalists Joe and Edita Burgos, had just finished a training workshop on organic farming when he was abducted from a Quezon City mall in 2007 and has not been seen since.

The military has repeatedly denied its involvement in his disappearance.

CAP said that works like "Alipato at Muog", which highlights the abduction and search for Burgos, "are indispensable for fostering informed public dialogue and must be made accessible to all."

"The MTRCB's X rating serves only to hinder essential discussions on critical human rights and societal concerns," they said.

PRODUCTION TEAM TO SEEK REVIEW 

In a statement on his Facebook page, filmmaker JL Burgos said he and his team will appeal the MTRCB's decision.

"We will have it reviewed for the second  time as soon as possible, even though we have to shell out a huge amount of money just to have it reviewed," he said, stressing the film was produced independently and was funded through grants from the Cinemalaya Foundation and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

"We will abide by the processes of such undertakings as we have done from the very first day of the search of my brother. We will also submit the documents of the Jonas Burgos case that they are asking from us," he said.

SPECIAL JURY AWARD

"Alipato at Muog" won the Special Jury Award for Full-Length Film at the recent Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival for “its effective use of the resources of documentary cinema to shed light on an actual case of enforced disappearance and reveal dark truths about human rights in the Philippines.”

CAP also urged artists to "remain vigilant" in defending against human rights violations, citing the long history of "suppression" against other Cinemalaya Special Jury Prize Winners.

"Over the past few years, two other Cinemalaya Special Jury Prize winners—'Blue Room' (2022) by Ma-an Asuncion-Dagñalan and 'Ang Duyan ng Magiting' (2023) by Dustin Celestino—faced similar censorship, initially receiving X ratings for the very same reason. Such a pattern reveals a persistent attempt to stifle films which critically examine authority."

RELATED VIDEO