MTRCB to review Vietnam-banned ‘Barbie’ movie on Tuesday

The movie "Barbie" will be reviewed for rating and classification on Tuesday, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chairperson Lala Sotto has said.

Sotto made the statement when the MTRCB was asked if the Philippines will also ban the movie for showing a map which featured China's nine-dash-line in the South China Sea.

“We confirm that the film ‘Barbie’ under Warner Bros. F.E. Inc. will undergo MTRCB rating and classification tomorrow, July 4,” Sotto said on Monday.

“In connection thereto, the MTRCB assures the public that as with any material rated by the Board, the film shall undergo a fair and thorough review in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 1986,” she added.

Asked if the MTRCB review was related to the ban by Vietnam, Sotto said the local distributor applied before the MTRCB its request for rating and classification.

"And tomorrow, July 4th, is the scheduled review date. Hope this clarifies your query," Sotto said.

A Reuters report earlier said Vietnam prohibited the domestic distribution of the live-action film over a scene featuring a map that shows China's unilaterally claimed territory in the SCS.

The U-shaped "nine-dash line" is used on Chinese maps to illustrate its claims over vast areas of the South China Sea, including swathes of what Vietnam considers its continental shelf, where it has awarded oil concessions.

"Barbie" is set to open in Philippine cinemas on July 19.

The MTRCB  previously pulled out the action-adventure film "Uncharted" from Philippine cinemas and ordered Netflix to pull certain episodes of the spy drama “Pine Gap” due to certain scenes showing China’s nine-dash line map.

China has claims in the South China Sea based on its nine-dash-line map.

In 2016, an international court in The Hague, Netherlands invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims over the resource-rich waters.

The ruling upheld the Philippines' claims in the area based on its exclusive economic zone provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Beijing did not participate in the legal proceedings and continues to refuse to recognize the decision of the arbitral tribunal. —NB, GMA Integrated News