All’s fair in piracy campaign–OMB
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:55:00 05/15/2008
MANILA, Philippines—The Optical Media Board (OMB) “does not discriminate in favor of, or against, anybody” in conducting their campaign against piracy, the OMB said in a statement sent to Inquirer Entertainment.
OMB executive director Rosendo Meneses was reacting to a comment raised by Buhay party-list Rep. William Tieng that the OMB raids were “selective” and that its chair, Edu Manzano, “hasn’t showed up” in budget hearings.
In an interview with the entertainment press last week, Tieng complained about the lack of major changes in the OMB operations. He asked, “Do they lack funds, that’s why they can’t do their job well? How come they don’t go to the budget hearings? How can they solve that problem?”
Tieng has filed a bill designed to cut down amusement taxes from 60 percent to 10 percent. Another bill he authored proposes stiffer penalties for pirates–from P100,000 to P500,000, with imprisonment of up to five years.
According to Meneses, the OMB conducted 2,526 raids and seized 4.8 million units of pirated products worth approximately P1.12 billion in 2007 alone.
He said successful operations against producers and traders of fake optical media products were conducted from as far as Cebu and Iloilo in the Visayas, and Davao City in Mindanao.
Meneses said the OMB has lodged 22 criminal complaints against apprehended parties and filed some 2,500 administrative charges last year.
“OMB’s performance under Manzano has been cited by the US Trade Representative in its recently released Special 301 Report,” said Meneses. “OMB’s pivotal role in curbing piracy is one major reason the USTR removed the Philippines from its Priority Watch List and moved it to the Ordinary Watch List. Our anti-piracy campaign has also received commendations from the International Motion Picture Association, something that all Filipinos should be proud of.”
As for Manzano not attending budget hearings, Meneses quoted a Congress employee who said: “Parating nandito si Sir Edu, madalas po. Lahat nga po ng request namin na magpa-picture, game na game po siya.”
Marinel R. Cruz
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