Palace hits US docufilm “On President’s Order” derogatory, biased

September 17, 2019

Malacañang blasted on Tuesday the US docufilm "On the President's Order" for being "derogatory and biased."

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo cautioned those who would watch the movie that the Philippines is an archipelago where the illegal drug trade is a billion-peso industry, "in that 97 percent of small villages which we call barangays, have or had already been infiltrated."

"As mentioned in the docufilm's website, caught in camera are 'the victimised slum communities and the police squads blithely executing their countrymen from a perverse moral high ground.' We find this derogatory and biased, if not outright fiction," he said.

"It is obvious that the film medium is riding on the coattails of the President's international popularity and success, and is being used as a medium to espouse a one-sided information bordering to black propaganda aimed at gullible foreign audiences who know little or zero-knowledge about the Philippines and its government," Panelo added.

Over 5,000 individuals have been killed since Duterte ordered an all-out war against illegal drugs in 2016.

Panelo said the Palace is vexed by the continuous spread of "disinformation" against the country’s campaign against illegal drugs and criminality.

"Foreign audiences have been saturated with false and baseless narratives relative to the Philippine government's anti-narcotics approach, specifically on the nature and number of deaths arising from police operations against it," he said.

Citing the trailer and commentaries on the American docufilm, "it appears that the same is the latest addition to these unmitigated vilifications," Panelo said.

"Even the title of the docufilm reeks with malice, making it appear that the drug-related deaths were done upon the orders of PRRD," he said.

"In creating a film, it is easy to select fractions of video clips or soundbites that serve the purpose of the filmmakers in falsely portraying a dangerous Philippines and a murderous government while omitting scenes that reflect the opposite. Moviegoers are more inclined to watch a thrilling film that depicts a country as menacing instead of a lackluster motion picture showcasing its progress and development," he added.

Panelo said the government’s campaign against prohibited narcotics is anchored primarily on national security and public safety.

He claimed the country now feel safer and secure with 7 out of 10 Filipinos being satisfied with the way the President handles the campaign.

He reiterated that the drug-related killings are "absolutely" not state-initiated nor state-sponsored but as a result of violent resistance on the part of those sought to be arrested by police agents.

He also said that a number of the deaths was also a caused by members of the prohibited drug industry who killed each other because of, among others, rivalry, botched deals and swindling.

"The docufilm, together with its so-called cinematic investigation on drug-related deaths, evidently has been deliberately overdramatized for the purpose, apart from putting the Philippines in a bad light, of creating a better cinematic experience for its audience. We caution its potential viewers to be circumspect in evaluating the truthfulness of the film," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS