Philippines weighs decision to ban film ‘Barbie’. This is why
Barbie," directed by Greta Gerwig. Vietnam recently announced its decision to bar the film's commercial release due to a disputed depiction of China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, known as the «nine-dash line.» The Philippines, along with Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, has its own territorial claims in the South China Sea and strongly rejects China's assertion of sovereignty over the entire region. Senator Francis Tolentino, vice chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, stated that if the invalidated nine-dash line was indeed portrayed in the movie, it would denigrate Philippine sovereignty.
He called upon the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to ban the film, as reported by local media. In response, the MTRCB released a statement on its website indicating that it is currently reviewing the classification of the movie but did not provide any further explanation. The board confirmed that the film had been reviewed, and the Committee on First Review is deliberating on Warner Brothers' request for a Permit to Exhibit.
The MTRCB stated that the permit or the committee's decision would be made available on the agency's official website once finalized. It is worth noting that the MTRCB previously blocked the release of the film «Uncharted» in the Philippines for similar reasons. Some senators are open to discussing a potential compromise, such as requesting Warner Bros to edit out the contentious scene in «Barbie.» However, there is no guarantee that the studio would agree.
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