Cloud still hovers over Dear Satan.

ONE of two recent films which were slapped with an X rating by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) — which prevents a film from being shown in movie theaters — has received a reprieve.

Following a second review of the documentary Alipato at Muog, after its director JL Burgos appealed against the X rating the MTRCB overturned the decision yesterday and rated the film R-16, allowing it to be released in Philippine cinemas.

While awaiting the government body’s decision on Sept. 5, Mr. Burgos led human rights activist groups in a protest outside the MTRCB’s office in Quezon City, calling for an end to censorship and demanding justice for the victims of enforced disappearances. He said in a Facebook post that five of the MTRCB’s reviewers had spoken to them in person to announce their new decision.

“We request your good office to take another look at Alipato at Muog with an open mind and an open heart,” he wrote in a letter to the MTRCB the week before. “Our documentary is not fiction. It is a story of a family searching for their missing loved one. It is about human rights and the pursuit for justice,” he added.

The review board had earlier justified the X rating by pointing out what it determined was the film’s tendency to “undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or duly constituted authorities.”

Alipato at Muog focuses on the enforced disappearance of Mr. Burgos’ brother, farmer-activist Jonas, and traces the paper trail of military officials involved in the case.

The Burgos brothers are the sons of the late anti-Marcos newspaper publisher Jose Burgos, Jr. The younger Burgos was abducted in 2007 and has never been seen again. The Burgos family has been searching for him ever since and has accused elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of being behind the abduction. The AFP denies its involvement.

The film had a successful run at the 2024 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival in August, where it took a Special Jury Prize. It was screened at the University of the Philippines Diliman on Aug. 30 when it still sported the X rating. State universities and colleges are not under the MTRCB’s jurisdiction.

WAYWARD LETTER
Along with the documentary, the comedy Dear Satan was also classified as unsuitable for public viewing.   

The film is still under review, following a similar appeal for reconsideration of the X rating it was given last week.

The comedy centers around Satan, played by Paolo Contis, who accidentally receives a child’s letter meant for Santa Claus and his ensuing failed attempts to corrupt the child, played by Sienna Stevens. Its scheduled release was set for Sept. 18.

At the censor body’s Sept. 3 budget hearing at the Senate, MTRCB chairperson Diorella Maria “Lala” Sotto-Antonio explained the rating given to the film: “I have seen the film. I joined the board. I am offended as a Christian. It is not demonic, but it has a different depiction of Satan becoming good. But Satan will never ever be good.”

Mr. Contis told the press that same day that their film shows in the trailer that his character of Satan “was trying to influence [co-star Sienna’s character], but it never happened because her faith was strong.”

The film’s production company, Mavx Productions, stated that they will change the title of the film in hopes that the MTRCB may give them another chance. This move comes two months after a similar one allowed Quark Henares’ trans-centered film Marupok AF to screen in theaters after its title was changed to Marupok A+.

As of press time, Dear Satan is still under review.  

CENSORSHIP
Along with netizens’ accusations of growing censorship of films, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) released a statement regarding the initial X rating of Alipato at Muog.

The group pointed out that Presidential Decree No. 1986, which grants MTRCB its authority, is “a martial law decree that broadened the power of the state’s censorship apparatus.” Under it, the board can disapprove the exhibition of films and television programs that, based on contemporary Filipino cultural values, are “deemed immoral, indecent, or harmful.”

“The decree moreover invokes the ‘dangerous tendency’ doctrine, a relaxed standard that permits the restriction of speech if it has a probable effect of producing a substantive evil, even if the danger is not imminent. This standard is incompatible with modern jurisprudence favoring the ‘clear and present danger’ test, which requires the presence of a serious and imminent threat before speech can be restricted,” NUPL said. — Brontë H. Lacsamana