Filipinos have decided to boycott the animated film “Abominable” for containing scenes that government found just as abominable to the on-going dispute over territories in the West Philippine Sea.
Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Ann Hofer, chairperson of the House Committee on Foreign Relations, said that Filipino moviegoers have apparently “decided on the question of whether the film deserves attention.”
Hofer said the movie had already been “pulled out of theaters due to poor viewership.”
“Consistent with the landmark 2016 Hague Ruling, I support the call of DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. for the producers of the film ‘Abominable’ to cut scenes that portray the now invalidated ‘nine-dash line’,” explained Hofer.
Aghast at the film that featured a map of the South China Sea with China’s nine-dash line claim, Locsin called for a “universal boycott” of all films made by its producer, Dreamworks.
However, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, a senior member of the House Foreign Relations Panel, said the movie has no effect on the Philippine’s strong claim over the contested territories.
“Just a movie. We have the arbitral decision,” Rodriguez stressed.
Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon backed Locsin by calling on local film distributors to demonstrate patriotism.
“Perhaps we can call on the local distributor of the film to do an act of patriotism and not book the film for showing in the Philippines,” said Biazon, vice chairman of the House Committee on National Defense. (Ben Rosario)
