THE PUBLIC affairs unit of GMA Network, Inc. has reached out to the UST Office of Public Affairs (OPA) for a screening of the documentary “Lost Sabungeros,” which cannot be shown in theaters and on television because it is not yet reviewed by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
In an email to The Flame, the GMA Public Affairs said an invitation has been sent to the OPA regarding a possible partnership last Feb. 20.
The network is awaiting updates from the OPA, the unit in charge of the University’s public relations program.
Titled “Lost Sabungeros: The Complete Story,” the updated film — originally slated for the 2024 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival— features unseen footage and revelations regarding the unsolved disappearances of 34 cockfighters between April 2021 and January 2022.
The MTRCB had denied the production team’s appeal for a review and classification of the documentary in a letter dated Feb. 19, which was posted on Facebook by GMA Public Affairs senior vice president Nessa Valdellon.
In her post, Valdellon said GMA would turn to educational institutions for the documentary’s distribution.
“‘The Board finds no sufficient basis to disturb or reconsider its prior determination in declining to review and classify the above mentioned film.’ From your own words, you declined to review The Lost Sabungeros a second time,” Valdellon said, quoting the MTRCB’s letter.
“We are going the school route so that more people can see the new/complete version of the documentary,” she added.
The MTRCB, in its letter addressed to “Lost Sabungeros” director Bryan Brazil, said it would only consider the film’s review upon the submission of a certification of no pending case, noting that the film “involves matter which is sub judice in nature.”
The sub judice rule restricts media coverage of ongoing court cases to prevent any influence on the court’s impartiality or the outcome of the proceedings, a principle grounded in the Rules of Court.
In a recent statement, the MTRCB claimed that “Lost Sabungeros,” was not rejected nor denied review. According to the board, the producers were asked to submit the documentary requirements needed to properly evaluate the film.
One of these requirements was a certification confirming that the subject matter of the material is not the subject of any pending case before the courts.
MTRCB said the requirement is consistent with the mandate of the Board under Presidential Decree No. 1986, which authorizes the MTRCB to review motion pictures and ensure that materials presented for public exhibition comply with existing laws.
The board claimed that the production “was unable to submit the required certification.”
“Until the necessary document is provided, the Board said it cannot continue with the review process,” the MTRCB said.
The film began its school tour at Bulacan State University this March, with family members of the missing victims and the documentary’s director and producer in attendance.
According to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, 21 of the 22 individuals linked to the disappearance of the cockfighting enthusiasts have been arrested.
Businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang, who has been accused of being the mastermind behind the disappearance, remains at large. He has denied involvement in the disappearance and has filed criminal charges against his former employees who implicated him in the case.
The Laguna Regional Trial Court issued warrants of arrest against Ang and 17 other persons on Jan. 14 this year. F
