PAWS files case against ‘Oro’ over dog slaughter scene

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) filed a complaint against Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry Oro over a dog slaughter scene in the movie.

The group filed the complaint on Wednesday, January 11, at the Office of the Pasig City Prosecutor, a week after they met with the Oro production team and the MMFF Executive Committee (ExeCom) to discuss the scene.

In a photo of the complaint on PAWS’ official Facebook page, 4 respondents were named: director Alvin Yapan, production manager Arianne Dulay, and producers Mark Shandii Bacolod and Jane Bondoc Gonzales.

A post on the group’s Facebook page also shows 4 complainants: PAWS executive director Anna Cabrera, MMFF marketing committee member Ida Tiongson, Oro cast member Japo Parcero, and PAWS’ Jam Casaul.

According to a report on Interaksyon, PAWS is alleging that Oro violated Section 6 and 9 of the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 (Republic Act No. 8485).

If found guilty, they said, the Oro team could face two to 3 years in prison and a fine of up to P250,000.

Yapan, the producers, and actress Irma Adlawan have spoken up about the issue, saying that no one in the production killed the dog. The consumption of dogs is part of the culture of area where they filmed, they said, and the dog was to be butchered for a wake.

Since the controversy over the dog slaughter scene blew up early in January, Oro has been stripped of the MMFF Fernando Poe Jr Memorial Award, and Yapan and its producers have been suspended from the festival for a year.

The Directors’ Guild of the Philippines is also investigating the allegations made by PAWS, as Yapan is a member of their group.

Oro was pulled out of theaters earlier than the other MMFF films, due to the scene as well. The MMFF began on December 25 and ended on January 10.

Oro, a movie based on a true story about a massacre in a mining community, also won Best Ensemble Cast and Best Actress for Adlawan at the MMFF 2016 Gabi ng Parangal. – Rappler.com