‘I-Witness’ disagrees with MTRCB decision on 'Lukayo'

“I-Witness", a public affairs show of GMA Network, issued a statement on Friday expressing its disagreement with the decision of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board to suspend the program for two consecutive weeks, due to some scenes in the episode entitled “Lukayo – Hindi Ito Bastos". The said episode featured a wedding ritual in Laguna where old women were shown dancing while wearing wooden phalluses of exaggerated sizes. The MTRCB complained that the episode also included another ritual where a person performs the act of masturbation. Howie Severino, writer and host of the “Lukayo" episode of “I-Witness" clarified the dance was a flagellation ritual that is done during Holy Week and that it had nothing to do with masturbation or sex. The Rotary Club of Manila recently named Severino “Investigative Reporter of the Year". National Artist Ramon Obusan, who discovered the rituals and joined the “I-Witness" crew during coverage, was surprised by the MTRCB decision. Obusan agreed with Severino and said that what “I-Witness" showed in the “Lukayo" episode was part of local tradition and had no malice. “I have witnessed many other traditional dances that used phalluses, these are important symbols used in both fertility and flagellation rituals," Obusan said. Although GMA Network disagrees with MTRCB’s decision, Severino said the network “respect[s] the MTRCB as a regulatory agency and we will abide by their decision." The MTRCB controversy, according to Severino, can be used in a positive light to educate and enlighten the people about these little known aspects of Philippine culture. GMANews.TV is the official website of GMA News and Public Affairs. - GMANews.TV