Pimentel on CA ban vs Erap bioflick: Censorship

MANILA, Philippines - An opposition senator on Monday said the decision of the Court of Appeals to ban the public showing of a documentary film on former President Joseph Estrada "smacks of undue censorship." Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr said the administration can rebut the perceived wrong information in the film "Ang Mabuhay Para sa Masa" but it cannot bar it. "The Court of Appeals ban on Erap (Estrada's nickname) bioflick smacks of undue censorship. Even wrong information in film falls under mantle of freedom of speech, administration can rebut it but it can't bar views that it doesn't like," Pimentel said in a text message to GMANews.TV, The senator said the appellate court seemed to have gone overboard when it imposed certain conditions before the government can lift the ban on the public exhibition of the documentary film on Estrada. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV