Karapatan and Jose Luis (JL) Burgos condemned Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson of the National Security Council (NSC), for slandering the documentary film “Alipato at Muog.” They also condemned the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) for imposing an “X rating” of the film which banned it from public and commercial viewing in cinemas.

Karapatan and Burgos said these measures are clear examples of a culture of disrespect.

Burgos is the director of “Alipato at Moog,” a film about seeking the whereabouts of his activist brother Jonas who was abducted by state forces from a mall in Quezon City in 2007. The vehicle used by state forces was traced to a military camp. After almost two decades, no answers have been forthcoming and no one has been held accountable for his disappearance.

Through the documentary, the director was able to show the story of his older brother’s disappearance and the increasing number of missing activists in the country. Half of the movie deals with the efforts of Jonas’ family to find enough evidence to locate his whereabouts.

The current head of the NSC, Eduardo Año, was involved in the abduction of Jonas, explains the NSC spokesperson’s attack. He sarcastically said the documentary was a “desperate attempt to revive an old case linking the military to Jonas’ abduction.”

JL said Malaya’s statement shows his ignorance of the law. He said the Anti-Enforced Disappearance Law itself states that enforced disappearance is a continuing crime as long as the victim is not located.

“In layman’s terms, Mr. Malaya, the crime committed against Jonas is a crime that is STILL being committed against my brother up to this moment. It is the state’s responsibility… to find my brother,” he said.

For Karapatan, Malaya’s statement reveals a “grand conspiracy” by state forces to protect those responsible for the abduction and enforced disappearance, not only of Jonas, but of all other victims of the same heinous crime in the country. “It is a deliberate attempt by the country’s security forces, for which Malaya speaks for, to continue evading accountability and obstructing the attainment of justice for the victims,it added.

A few days after Malaya’s statement, the MTRCB on August 22 gave the film an “X Rating” or a prohibition from being shown in theaters. Director JL shared that this was MTRCB’s verdict because they said “the film tends to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or duly constituted authority.

JL said they will appeal and try again with the MTRCB a second time to allow the release of the film. “So we are begging you, open your hearts and be the voice of the voiceless. Stand up for what is right and what is just,” he said.

The director further emphasized that even if they may possibly get an “X Rating” again, they will try to let people who are monitoring their story know that they will not back down. “There are stories like this because there are events like this. There’s nothing wrong with fighting, people fight because there’s something wrong,” he said.

The documentary film was part of and premiered at the recently concluded 20th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. It was awarded the Special Jury Award for the full-length category.