Image from the ‘Oro’ official trailer
Sen. Grace Poe threatened on Monday to move for the invalidation of the Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) Memorial Award for Excellence given to the movie “Oro” if it should turn out that a dog was butchered as part of the film.
Poe, daughter of FPJ, said she would want an investigation into the reported slaughtering of a dog in the movie, which she said would be a violation of a law on animal welfare.
“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,” she said in a statement.
“The MMFF (Metro Manila Film Festival) organizers and the producers of ‘Oro’ should fully cooperate with the concerned government agency for the immediate investigation on this matter,” she said. “Artistic license does not justify the violation of our laws.”
Though she was not part of the jury that decided on the award, Poe said, it is her responsibility to uphold the values of FPJ.
“He would never condone an act of animal cruelty,” she said.
Aside from possible criminal liability, the senator said, the MMFF should also consider imposing applicable administrative sanctions against the producers or film makers for any misrepresentation before the MMFF selection committee if the report could be confirmed.
Such misrepresentation in itself , she added, “may already justify the movie being stripped of any and all awards it received among other sanctions.” /ATM