High Court asked to stop showing of anti-Muslim clip

MANILA -- A group of Muslims urged the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to ban the showing of controversial clip "Innocence of Muslims" in the country for mocking Islam prophet Muhammad.

A petition for temporary restraining order (TRO) was filed by Agakhan "Benladin" Sharief, Datu Drieza Lininding, Datu Haj Ansari Alonto and Datu Nasser Dimapinto, whose group Bangsamoro nation supposedly represents the sentiments of seven to 10 million Muslims in the Philippines.

Named respondents were Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chairperson Grace Poe-Llamanzares and Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) chairperson Ivan John Uy.

CICT, however, was abolished by President Benigno Aquino III through Executive Order 47 on June 23, 2011 to give way for the Information and Communications Technology Office under the Department of Science Technology (DOST).

The agency is currently headed by engineer Louis Casambre.

"Muslims cannot allow this kind of insult to their prophet Mohammad and to the Islamic religion in general. Unless the State prohibits the showing of the subject film inimical to the national security, actual or imminent danger of violence shall be expected," said the petition.

It added that the CICT should be directed to ban, prevent and prohibit the continued posting of the film in video-sharing site YouTube, Google or any other website until the Court rules on the merits of the petition.

"After the full merits of this petition has been considered by this Honorable Tribunal the anti-Muslim film...be forever, permanently and perpetually banned for public exhibition in all kinds of media outlet within (the) Philippines, such as theaters, television and internet with its websites YouTube, Google or any other kind of website," the petition read.

The group said that Ochoa should "find ways" within his powers and functions to pull out or remove or prohibit the showing of the said film or its trailer within the country from websites Google and YouTube.

Prior to the filing, the group prayed in front of the SC compound, after which they marched to the nearby US Embassy in Manila to hold a peaceful demonstration.

The film that depicted Mohammad as rude and child molester triggered violent demonstrations against Americans, including its diplomats and envoys, in the Middle East.

Google, which owns YouTube, has already blocked access to the film in Muslim-dominated Saudi Arabia upon the order of King Abdullah. (Virgil Lopez/HDT/Sunnex)