Industry people seek Speaker’s support in fighting piracy

Industry people seek Speaker’s
support in fighting piracy
Posted:9:32 PM (Manila Time) | August 28, 2001
Inquirer News Service

Anti-piracy bill

MEMBERS of the entertainment industry had an audience with Speaker  Monday night to seek his commitment of support for the proposed anti-piracy bill.

The dinner meeting was initiated by film producer  and was held at the Speaker’s residence in Dasmariñas Village, Makati City.

It was attended by film producers, singers, composers, actors, directors and talent managers who have been crusading against piracy.

There were also representatives from local TV stations like PTV 4, GMA 7, RPN 9 and ABS-CBN.

The same group has been rallying against the 20 percent tax increase to be imposed on entertainers starting Sept. 1.

The members of the industry propose to strengthen the law on anti-piracy and support the passage of a broader anti-piracy act that will explicitly recognize and protect the intellectual property rights of performers.

De Venecia vowed to help members of the industry to pass House Bill No. 11855, known as the entertainment media anti-piracy bill. It was recently refiled by Ilocos Norte Rep.  in the 12th Congress.

Also supporting the bill are the “Spice Boys,” represented Monday night by Surigao del Norte Rep. .

But the members of the industry need sponsors in the Senate for a counterpart bill before the bill can be passed as a law. So far, only Sen.  has pledged his support to the industry by also supporting the bill.

Recto’s heart is close to show biz since he is married to award-winning actress Vilma Santos, who has been reelected mayor of Lipa City.

When  told the members of the industry to agree on who could sponsor the bill in the Senate, a veteran actress remarked, “Let us first agree on how to get   out of the Senate,” which drew laughter from the other people in the meeting.

The House committee on public information will deliberate on the anti-piracy bill.

Maceda urges industry members to make their contributions to improve the bill and make a strong and visible stand for it.

House Bill No. 11855 proposes to curtail entertainment media piracy in the Philippines and reorganize the Videogram Regulatory Board (VRB) into the Entertainment Media Regulatory and Anti-piracy Board (EMRP).

The VRB was created under Presidential Decree No. 1987. The bill that seeks to replace the VRB with the EMRP says the latter shall be placed under the Office of the President.

Poem by Martin

DURING the last stretch of the meeting, Martin Nievera was busy on his Nokia 9210 palmtop, composing a poem that he sent through text to my editor, Louie Camino.

Martin was trying to justify why he was against the 20 percent tax increase on entertainers, even if he is one of the high income earners who pay 32 percent tax to the government.

Here goes Martin’s poem:

“The lesser gets less and the bigger gets huge
To think of one’s self is only safe refuge
I’m nothing without the people behind the production
The sound, the band and the lights
Everyone suffers in this tax increase
From the guy in the front to the guys you don’t see
Who gives a damn if unsung heroes speak?
For the strong should fight for the shy and the weak.”

Success according to Mystica

HOW do you solve a problem like Mystica?

Whenever I saw Mystica defending herself on TV because of the latest controversy about her, I made sure I would not give her space in this column.

But Mystica never runs out of gimmicks so that people will talk about her or so that she will get constant TV and print exposure.

I have yet to see Mystica in a TV interview where she does not shed copious tears.

One time you hear about her having an affair with her driver-bodyguard who is married. And then you see her fighting with an entertainment columnist and denying that she picked up boys in Cubao. Why, she even dragged the names of young actors Diether Ocampo and Piolo Pascual into that issue.

She also admitted that she tolerates the philandering ways of her second husband in her own home. “Dahil ‘yung hindi ko kayang ibigay sa kanya, napupunuan naman nung isang babae,” she said.

In a Catholic country like the Philippines where divorce may probably take another lifetime to be legalized, Mystica’s statement was downright dismal. What woman, in her right mind, would tolerate such an unfaithful husband?

To Mystica’s delight, the show biz-oriented shows pick up her gimmicks and treat them as legitimate news. One time, I even saw her being interviewed by reporter Lhar Santiago on GMA 7’s early evening newscast, “Saksi.” That same week, entertainers were fighting the 20 percent tax increase and yet Mystica’s pathetic story was given prominence on the newscast.

In “SIM,” the weekly show of Mario Dumaual on ABS-CBN, an entire segment was devoted to Mystica. She gets invited to shows like “S-Files” and “The Buzz” to explain her side.

Last week, during the meeting of talent managers, we heard that the managers discussed what should be done about Mystica. Do they censor her confessions on TV? Do they ask her to shut up or do they tell her to spare show biz and the public from her preposterous tales?

I personally know Mystica’s manager, Tita  who is a member of the Professional Artists Managers Inc. (PAMI). Tita  used to manage . Let me make it clear that my criticism of Mystica is in no way meant to antagonize Tita

Mystica is one performer you can’t ignore. She has purposely wears flagrant outfits that never fail to catch attention. I wanted to describe her as a cross-dresser who looked like a gay, but I thought that would be an insult to cross-dressing gays.

Mystica is noted for doing cartwheels and splits which stun viewers.

The former Rubyrosa Villanueva from Cavite married a Canadian and was an entertainer in Canada under the name Ruby Cassidy. She returned to Manila and launched her career in the local entertainment scene.

The rumor-hungry public or the purveyors of intrigue might be awaiting the latest buzz about her, but I don’t want to join them.

It is said that you cannot argue with success. But if success is achieved through cheap controversial gimmicks, few entertainers will be considered really successful.
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