|
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Pick on film producer, not Unicef: Tomas to Council
By Linette C. Ramos
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
Embarrassed by the Cebu City Council’s resolution addressed to Unicef, Mayor Tomas Osmeña clarified yesterday that the council’s sentiment is not the Cebu City Government’s official stand on the matter.
Osmeña believes the council is “hitting the wrong target” when it passed a resolution requesting Unicef to refrain from showing the video documentary “Bunso” unless it is edited.
The mayor warned he will not sign any letter or resolution that will be sent to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), one of the City’s biggest benefactors for children’s programs.
While criticizing the film’s producers is a good move, the council’s concerns should be addressed to the producer of the documentary and not the Unicef, he said.
“I want to clarify that it’s just a council resolution and not the City’s stand. The resolution in itself is defective. It’s an insult to Unicef because they’re not the one distributing the film and Unicef has been giving a lot of assistance to the children of Cebu,” Osmeña told a news conference.
While it is true that Unicef co-funded the production of the video documentary, it is its partner, Consuelo Foundation Inc., that distributes copies.
The mayor expressed his disappointment after finding out that to this day, there is still some truth to the film “Bunso” since 17 minors were found at BBRC.
“I’m apprehensive, if not embarrassed, that’s why I’m not going to put my signature on that resolution. And the irony of it all is that there are children at BBRC right now,” Osmeña said.
The approved resolution, however, will not need the mayor’s signature since only ordinances and appropriations require his approval.
Whether Cebu likes it or not, the significance of the film is revived again after City Hall found out that 17 minors are detained at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center (BBRC), a lapse that the mayor blamed on the police and the BJMP.
“Unfortunately, they’re asking Unicef not to distribute the film and we don’t want to offend Unicef because it is one of the biggest donors of the City and probably favors Cebu City than any other city in the country,” Osmeña added.
Praises
Just last April 27, Unicef and Canadian International Development Agency officials were in Cebu to monitor the initial results of the implementation of the Sixth Country Program for Children.
Some components of the City’s program for children receive an annual funding of close to P9.3 million from the two agencies.
The officials of the agencies also lauded the interventions of the City and the Cebu City Task Force on Street Children to improve the state of the children, including the jail facility for minors.
In a phone interview, Beth Gayos of the Unicef Philippine Country Office said the film was co-funded by Unicef but it is Consuelo Foundation that keeps copies of the documentary.
“To some extent Unicef co-funded it with Consuelo but I’m not sure how large Unicef’s contribution was. So if the city officials have any concern about the circulation, it should be directed to Consuelo and not to us,” she added.
Gayos said that Unicef’s copies of the documentary were also provided by the foundation.
“Bunso the Youngest” won for Ditsi Carolino the Best Director award at the OneWorld 2005 documentary film festival held in Prague, Czech Republic in May last year.
It features Tony (13), Diosel (11), and Bunso (11) who were detained at the BBRC, where they share cells with adult criminals convicted of rape, murder and drug dealing.
Bunso is being used by child rights advocates to generate support for the passage of the Juvenile Justice Bill, which President Arroyo recently signed into law.
In separate interviews yesterday, Councilors Edgardo Labella and Jocelyn Pesquera said all they ask is for the producers to have a balanced reporting of facts.
They added that Bunso should be revised to include the improvements the City has undertaken, including the putting up of the Operation Second Chance.
“We should allow that to be shown but it should also have an explanation or a clarification that things have changed. They should present what it is before and what it is now,” Labella said.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 16, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
