Karapatan welcomes the lifting by the Movies and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) of the X-rating on “Alipato at Muog,” an award-winning documentary film on the abduction and enforced disappearance of activist Jonas Burgos.
An X-rating from the MTRCB classifies a film as “not for public viewing.” Upon second review, however, “Alipato at Muog,” which was directed by Jonas’ brother Jose Luis “JL” Burgos, was instead given an R-16 rating, making it eligible for screening in all theaters.
Jonas Burgos was abducted from a restaurant along Commonwealth Avenue on April 28, 2007. He was one of the 206 victims of enforced disappearance under the Gloria Arroyo regime.
On June 22, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines failed to conduct a thorough investigation of Jonas Burgos’ abduction, leading to the case being referred to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for further investigation and evidence gathering. In March 2011, the CHR determined that the enforced disappearance of Jonas Burgos had transpired and that his constitutional rights to life, liberty and security were violated by the government. Despite these developments, however, none of those identified to have been involved in Jonas Burgos’ disappearance has been held accountable. Thus, the Burgos family’s continuing quest for justice and closure.
“Under the Marcos Jr. regime, there are 15 victims of enforced disappearance to date,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay. She added: “Now that ‘Alipato at Muog’ can be shown in theaters nationwide, we hope it raises awareness about the crime of enforced disappearance and encourages the public to become involved in campaigns to surface the disappeared.”
