Poe wants FPJ award for ‘Oro’ rescinded if dog was killed for film

Sen. Grace Poe wants the FPJ Award for Excellence received by "Oro" at the Metro Manila Film Festival rescinded if a dog had indeed been killed during the making of the film.

"I call on the MMFF organizers to look into the matter of whether a dog was actually butchered as part of the filming of the movie Oro in violation of the existing law on animal welfare," she said in a statement.

"If in fact that were the case, I condemn such act and would move for the invalidation of the FPJ award given to the film."

The award is given at the annual film festival in honor of Poe's father, the late film star Fernando Poe Jr. "Oro" is the fifth film to receive the award since it was first given out in 2012.

In the same statement, Poe said that her father would "never condone an act of animal cruelty."

"The MMFF and the producers of Oro should fully cooperate with the concerned government agency for the immediate investigation on this matter. Artistic license does not justify the violation of our laws," she added.

Republic Act No. 10631 rules as unlawful "the killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos and horses" except in certain circumstances enumerated in RA 8485.

"Aside from the possible criminal liability, if indeed proved, the MMFF should also consider applicable administrative sanctions against the producers and/or film makers for any misrepresentation before the MMFF selection committee on this matter which in itself may already justify the movie being stripped of any and all awards it received among other sanctions," Poe said.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) on Saturday lodged a complaint with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, saying that the supposed slaughter was illegal and that no animal should be harmed or killed for the sake of making a movie.

The MMFF met with the animal rights group on Monday, with the MMFF Executive Committee (MMFF Execom) deciding to remove the scene from the film. In a statement on Facebook, PAWS executive director Anna Cabrera said that the decision was "very disappointing".

"So this is how they sweep animal cruelty under the rug in showbiz: edit it out," Cabrera said.

In a statement posted on MMFF spokesperson Noel Ferrer's Instagram account, the festival said that it had "posed no obstacle" to the film's being selected for its lineup, "on account of the film's prior representation that no dog was actually killed in connection with the subject depiction."

In a separate statement, the MMFF also welcomed Poe's call to look into the matter. 

"As previously stated, the MMFF does not and will not condone any such wrongdoing or any misrepresentation in such regard," it said in Ferrer's post.

"Even as the MMFF has been made aware of actions to be undertaken by Oro in recognition of the concerns of PAWS, it is ready to cooperate with the relevant authorities in such regard," Ferrer added.

"The MMFF will also monitor the undertakings made by the makers of Oro, without prejudice to its own evaluation of the representations made by Oro during the selection process, particularly insofar as its worthiness for the said memorial award is concerned."

 

ON Senator Grace Poe's Call To Look Into The FPJ Memorial Award given by her family to "ORO". The MMFF welcomes, with much respect, the call of Senator Grace Poe to look into the alleged canine killing in the course of the filming of Oro, which was granted the FPJ Memorial Award in this year's MMFF. As previously stated, the MMFF does not and will not condone any such wrongdoing or any misrepresentation in such regard. The MMFF has in fact called both PAWS and the makers of ORO to an inquiry today. Even as the MMFF has been made aware of actions to be undertaken by Oro in recognition of the concerns of PAWS, it is ready to cooperate with the relevant authorities in such regard. The MMFF will also monitor the undertakings made by the makers of Oro, without prejudice to its own evaluation of the representations made by Oro during the selection process, particularly insofar as its worthiness for the said memorial award is concerned.

A photo posted by Noel Ferrer (@iamnoelferrer) on

Jan 2, 2017 at 6:04am PST

"Oro" received the FPJ Memorial Award for Excellence at the MMFF's Gabi Ng Parangal last Thursday. The film also took the Best Ensemble Cast award and the Best Actress nod for star Irma Adlawan. According to Ferrer in a separate post, Adlawan brought her award to the meeting between the MMFF and PAWS, ready to return it if it had been required by the MMFF executive committee. — BM, GMA News