Action men vs pirates

For many years, movie producers bewailed the proliferation of pirated discs, which robbed them of a big percentage of the income that was rightfully theirs.

Raids would occasionally be conducted of stalls selling the discs and arrests of some small fry would be made, but the pirated merchandise soon resurfaced. Was there any way for the pirates to be hung on their own petard and for good?

No, no, many people advised. Don’t get your hopes up too high, because those pirates are very well-connected, they grease the palms of police officers to persuade them too look the other way. It’s a billion-peso business, and money talks—loud and clear.

Joint effort

Then, just this year, came Optical Media Board head Ronnie Ricketts and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. A few months ago, they jointly conducted yet another one of those periodic raids in the pirates’ paradise that is Quiapo. And they also served notice that, after a one-month warning, they would permanently close down all movie-disc stalls and confiscate their stocks, even those stored in warehouses.

Well, this time they meant business. And, true enough, stalls selling pirated discs in Manila have closed down, even those not in Quiapo, like some public markets in Paco and Sta. Ana.

Naturally, movie industry leaders and foreign distributors are ecstatic, and have honored the feisty tandem of Lim and Ricketts with plaques of appreciation. Manila may not be the entire country, but it’s a good start. And the success of the antifilm piracy campaign there might persuade or shame other local government heads to stop coddling pirates on their turf. Well, whatever works.

The point of this piece is not just to give Lim and Ricketts the two-thumbs-up sign, but also to underscore the fact that, when it comes to difficult or even “impossible” initiatives, with determination, political will and refusal to compromise or be sweet-talked into maintaining the comfortable and profitable status quo, it can be done.

It’s instinctive to recall that Mayor Lim was also involved in another major clean-up campaign, involving the then corrupt Manila Film Festival.

So, the word’s out: When something big and stinky gets his dander up—watch out!

Interestingly, Ricketts and Lim have something in common aside from their current partnership—Ricketts is an action star, and Lim’s exploits as a police officer were once dramatized in an action spectacular on the big screen. So Lim and Ricketts are actionmen.

Their success against movie pirates in Manila makes us believe that other impossible missions related to show business or media can similarly be mounted—and won. Those pressing issues include making Philippine television truly child-friendly, creating a profitable alternative screening circuit for indie movies, organizing a union and/or cooperative for all actors, and saving our film heritage for future generations. It can be done!