Robin wants to give more teeth to the MTRCB

n By JOEL E. ZURBANO

SENATOR Robinhood Padilla wants to further strengthen the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) in order to curb objectionable movies and other audio-visual materials.

Padilla filed Senate Bill 1940, saying the MTRCB at present cannot “address the changing demands of our time” due to the limited jurisdiction, organizational structure and operational competence provided by an almost 40 years old law. The bill mandates the MTRCB to go after, among others, materials that express “national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility, violence, or stereotyping or prejudice against the Filipino people, indigenous people or any ethnic group within or outside the country.”

“Almost 40 years since its creation, MTRCB proves to be bereft of the opportunity to address the changing demands of our time because of its limiting jurisdiction, organizational structure, and operational competence. It also lacks the enabling powers to cover potent types of visual media that have proliferated in many forms, including onlinestreaming platforms, on-demand streaming services, and even video games,” said Padilla, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media. vices derived from paid contracts in the region’s procurement program, and from salaries drawn by the region’s workforce

“Hence, MTRCB, as the primary quasi-judicial government agency responsible for the review and classification of television programs, movies, and publicity materials, must have the expressed mandate to effectively and adequately carry out its purpose and objectives,” the actor-turned-politician added.

According to the BARMM Human Resource Development Plan, the region has some 4,000 officials and employees, apart from tens of thousands of teaching and non-teaching professionals serving its education sector.

The local BIR District Office cited the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM); the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA); as well as the BARMM’s Ministry of Health (MOH); Ministry of Public Works (MPW), and the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), as the region’s top tax withheld remitting agencies.

THE Department of Agrarian Reform Region (DAR) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Cagayan Valley region have renewed their partnership to help agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in sustaining their livelihood activities.

The agreement, implemented under the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty Program (EPAHPP), is a government initiative addressing food security, hunger, and poverty problems through the cooperation and convergence of essential services of various government agencies. In a statement, the DAR said the activity is in consonance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to DAR Secretary Conrado Estrella III to uplift the economic lives of the ARBs. Maricel V. Cruz

Japanese scammer turned over to BI

A JAPANESE national wanted by authorities in his country for impersonating a police officer and for scamming was arrested by Bureau of Immigration agents.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Yoshiyuki Nishio, 59, was turned over by the National Capital Region Police Office Regional Intelligence Division to the BI.

Nishio was previously arrested last February 4 inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig for violation of Section 1 (k) of Republic Act 10883 or illegal transfer of plate, RA 4136, for violation of Land Transportation and Traffic Code, and Article 172 of RPC or Falsification of Private Individual and use of Falsified Documents. He was said to have been found inside the camp in a vehicle with an illegally transferred plate number. He was also said to have presented a fake driver’s license.

Nishio, who carried the alias Kenjie Kimura, was found to be the subject of an existing Summary Deportation Order issued in 2020. Vito Barcelo

FOR INQUEST.

Policemen escort Daniel Perry, also known as ‘Sting’ –the alleged master initiator of the hazing rites that killed Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig, during the inquest proceeding at the Department of Justice in Manila. Danny Pata