Porn movie caught on bus on 1st day of Holy Week exodus

The Holy Week exodus got off to a naughty start on Monday morning when a Bicol-bound bus was caught with a pornographic movie in its DVD player.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) was conducting an inspection at the Araneta Center bus terminal in Cubao, Quezon city, making sure that only wholesome films were being shown onboard, when they discovered the lewd film inside an R. Volante regular bus with plate number EVP-120.

MTRCB chair Eugenio “Toto” Villareal was explaining to the passengers and the bus driver that only films rated “General Patronage” (G) or “Parental Guidance” (PG) should be shown on public transport, when the inspection team turned on the DVD player to see the last film it was playing.

A woman taking off her clothes promptly appeared on the television screen, earning shrieks and laughter from MTRCB member and actress Gladys Reyes-Sommereux and the other passengers in the bus.

The DVD was titled “Pinay Collection,” and appeared to be a collection of amateur pornographic videos, said MTRCB legal counsel Thania Ibañez.

The red-faced driver immediately pinned the blame on his conductor, who he said might have watched the film while their bus was in the garage.

“But even so, it shouldn’t have been in the bus in the first place,” Villareal said, in an interview with the Inquirer after the inspection.

The R. Volante bus and driver were immediately grounded and sent off to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) main office in Quezon city for an investigation.

Under the MTRCB’s Memorandum No. 09-2011, materials with contents beyond the “PG” rating are prohibited from being shown in common carriers and other public places, as these places are already considered “movie theaters” subject to the regulation of the MTRCB.

Pirated media would be considered “unrated” and would also be confiscated, said Villareal.

On May 12, 2011, the MTRCB and the LTFRB signed an agreement prohibiting public utility vehicles (PUVs) from showing materials beyond the PG rating, and requiring them to post public notices on the matter near their television screens.

Since then, the MTRCB and the LTFRB have been conducting regular inspections on PUVs to check compliance, but the MTRCB steps up the campaign during holidays when they expect a heavy number of travelers taking public transport.

Those found violating MTRCB standards—from the driver and conductor, to the operator—will first be subjected to “administrative proceedings and remedial measures,” where they are required to undergo a seminar by the MTRCB, according to Villareal.

If administrative proceedings fail, the MTRCB could also file a criminal complaint under Presidential Decree No. 1986, the law creating the board. Under the law, violators could faces fines ranging from P2,000 to P5,000, or even imprisonment from three months to a year, Villareal said.

As if that weren’t a heavy enough sanction, the MTRCB would refer the apprehended R. Volante bus to the InterAgency Council Against Trafficking to check if there were any violations of the trafficking-in-persons law. “We saw in the ‘Pinay Collection’ a menu of Filipinas stripping naked. As if they’re [prostitutes] calling out to customers,” Villareal said.

Meanwhile, the LTFRB considers the exhibition of pornographic or violent media in PUVs, beyond the PG rating, a “franchise violation.”

LTFRB chair Winston Ginez said that under the Joint Administrative Order 2014-01, the bus operators can face a P5,000 fine on the first offense, a P10,000 fine and a 30-day impounding of the unit concerned on the second offense; and a P15,000 fine and the outright cancellation of the franchise on the third offense.

“But of course, we will properly investigate the circumstances. How did it happen? Was the film actually being shown to passengers? We will summon the operator and driver concerned,” Ginez said, in a phone interview.

Aside from the R. Volante bus, a Dimple Star bus with plate number TYG-659 was also caught at the Araneta station showing “unrated” or pirated media through the use of a flash disk. But the driver concerned was only asked to attend the mandatory seminar at the MTRCB.

“It is saddening that here in Araneta station, there is a bus that we discovered showing lewd movies. We all know that MTRCB rules state that every bus can only show G or PG movies, appropriate for any passenger, whether young or old. But it’s clear this wasn’t for children. Even for adults, this was lewd,” Reyes said in Filipino, after the inspection.

The MTRCB noted there was a 12-year-old girl on the R. Volante bus when the pornographic movie started playing.

MTRCB member Bobby Andrews chimed in: “We’re checking buses right now for the safety of children. So when you board the bus, make sure you see the MTRCB sticker [public notice] inside. When you see an inappropriate movie, you can call the MTRCB at 376-7380.”

Villareal added that those who would like to report inappropriate movies in PUVs can also e-mail [email protected], or tag the MTRCB Twitter account @MTRCBgov.