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Tunnel Vision
The Old Path Magazine | Vol. 1 No. 3 | 2005 |
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 ational newspaper accounts show that beginning
the third quarter of 2004 to the first quarter of
2005 or a total of three quarters, the Ang Dating
Daan television broadcasts had been systematically
eased off by the Movie and Television Review and
Classification Board (MTRCB). Chairperson Ma.
Consoliza P. Laguardia of MTRCB slapped preventive
suspensions against Bro. Eli Soriano and his company
from 20 days, to 90 days, to an indefinite period
respectively due to complaints filed by a religious
group known to be exerting influence among
government entities.
Some quarters believe this was the first time in the
history of Philippine religious broadcasting that a
regulatory body intervened and silenced a religious
broadcast for telling and exposing the truths about
faith and religion. They also believe that the
decision is tainted with religious influence.
The same accounts show that the MTRCB suspended Bro.
Soriano’s television broadcasts after the same
religious group, the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), had
filed practically the same complaints about the use
of harsh words by Bro. Soriano or alleged “bad
words” and defamation against the INC. Soriano
contested the suspensions at the high court,
complaining that the MTRCB violated his
constitutional right to free religion, speech, and
_expression.
"The statements were merely in response to the
detestable conduct of the ministers of the Iglesia
ni Cristo hosting a television program entitled, Ang
Tamang Daan," he said.
In taking Ang Dating Daan off the air, the MTRCB
cited Section 3 of Presidential Decree 1986,
granting the Board the power to screen, review, and
examine all movie and TV programs and to delete
materials that it deems morally offensive.
But Soriano countered that Section 3c of PD 1986 "is
unconstitutional in so far as it sanctions the
censorship of religious TV programs as a form of
subsequent punishment."
Section 3c of Presidential Decree 1986 is on powers
and functions of MTRCB and is very broad, with eight
subtopics. Section 3c of PD 1986 reads -
To approve or disapprove, delete objectionable
portions from and/or prohibit the importation,
exportation, production, copying, distribution,
sale, lease, exhibition and/or television broadcast
of the motion pictures, television programs and
publicity materials subject of the preceding
paragraph, which, in the judgment of the BOARD
applying contemporary Filipino cultural values as
standard, are objectionable for being immoral,
indecent, contrary to law and/or good customs,
injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the
Philippines or its people, or with a dangerous
tendency to encourage the commission of violence or
of wrong or crime, such as but not limited to:
i) Those which tend to incite subversion,
insurrection, rebellion or sedition against the
State, or otherwise threaten the economic and/or
political stability of the State;
ii) Those which tend to undermine the faith and
confidence of the people in their government and/or
the duly constituted authorities;
iii) Those which glorify criminals or condone
crimes;
iv) Those which serve no other purpose but to
satisfy the market for violence or pornography;
v) Those which tend to abet the traffic in and use
of prohibited drugs;
vi) Those which are libelous or defamatory to the
good name and reputation of any person, whether
living or dead; and
vii) Those which may constitute contempt of court or
of any quasi-judicial tribunal, or pertain to matter
which are sub-judice in nature.
With all of these supposed to be watched for by
Laguardia’s group, we could be expecting a healthy
climate from the information and entertainment
world, to include the boob tube cleaned of sexy
dancers and stupid productions which are the daily
fare of the family sala, and the movies restricted
from smut and filth. Nothing substantial is learned
from all of these, otherwise society would have been
better. Unfortunately, Laguardia and her group had
trained their eyes to the nits of the saving grace
of the serendipitous.
Serendipitous because there are the many poor lost
souls of the country who would have been the
liabilities of this nation but have found Bro.
Soriano who taught them how to live properly;
Serendipitous because there are many truth seekers
longing to turn their lives around and have begun to
cleanse their lives upon knowing Bro. Eli.
In the latest suspension which had no definite date
of ever being lifted, Bro. Soriano was banned from
appearing in any television broadcast. So when the
monitors went blank without him, the poor, the
down-trodden, those who hunger for truth have
validated the value of his mouth that some groups
would want shut.
Saving grace because the churches, the homes, the
schools seemed to have failed somewhere. These
people followed Bro. Soriano to his radio programs
at RMN-DZXL, to DZRH, then to his bible expositions.
Cuss words? Bad mouth? Not in the whole of things.
Nits the Laguardia group saw because unfortunately
Laguardia’s kind saw only the exception and not the
bigger picture. And now, because of this preference
for some specific religious group, the many
listeners of Bro. Soriano coming from many religious
groups closed in to finally connect with him. In a
way, what the MTRCB wanted shut, was what the people
wanted to hear. The offshoot of the suspensions
validated this. There is no other way to interpret
it.
His mouth is what makes Bro. Soriano different – and
for the good of the One who sent him. For being
given an understanding of God’s Word unbelievable by
this world’s standards, it is his job to teach - and
to rebuke, to reprove, to reproach the evil. It is a
job no one wants to take because of the attendant
perils, but he must do it. For those who do not care
to listen, it is not his concern anymore. But he
must go on and do his job.
And for the matter of singling him out in a tunnel
vision and shutting him up, that is not his concern.
He must do his job.
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Doctrines of
Christ
