Lim hits appeals body
ruling on Erap documentary

Sen. Alfredo Lim yesterday assailed as "nothing but a sham concession" and "unconstitutional" a decision of the appeals committee of the Movie and Television Review Classification Board (MTRCB) to finally allow the showing of former president Joseph Estrada’s film documentary but with conditions attached.

"The Appeals Committee’s eventual modification of the MTRCB decision against the showing of the film smacks of a sham concession aimed at mollifying President Estrada’s protestations against the unwarranted prior restraint on the exercise of his right to free speech as guaranteed by the Constitution," Lim said.

"This is pure and simple ‘consuelo de bobo,’" he added.

Lim also said the conditions prescribed by the MTRCB go against the freedom of speech and freedom of expression clauses of the Constitution.

Citing a Supreme Court ruling, Lim said: "Free speech is the liberty to discuss publicly and truthfully any matter of public interest without prior censorship or punishment."

Lim said the conditions set by the MTRCB are also "unworkable" and "unjustified."

He said the film-documentary should have not been banned in the first place since "it merely provides historical accounts and analyses of events that led to President Estrada’s military-backed ouster from Malacañang."

The MTRCB has set the following conditions before it could fully allow the public exhibition of the Estrada movie-documentary: the resolution of Estrada’s plunder case; the film must recognize the legality of the transfer of power from Estrada to President Arroyo; subjudice portions should be deleted; and, the film must be balanced by featuring the side or replies of the persons defamed or libeled in it.