Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla has affirmed granting more power to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to protect the youth against illegal and inappropriate content proliferating online.
Padilla made the statement during the joint hearing of Senate Committees on Public Information and Mass Media, Games, and Amusement, Ways and Means, and Finance, where they reviewed the expansion of MTRCB’s powers.
"Kami pong lahat na taga-pelikula na nandidito sa Senado naniniwala po na kailangan madagdagan ang mandato ninyo para labanan po natin itong mga online na ito (We from the film industry that are here in the Senate believe that the MTRCB needs a greater mandate to fight these online threats)," Padilla said.
He also underlined that the mandate and capabilities of the agency have been outdated due to fast-changing trends in media and entertainment.
Padilla, however, clarified that the measure was not to implement censorship and deprive the public of their freedom of expression but to sustain intelligent viewing and protect viewers from inappropriate content.
