Huge profits for those engaging in the business of selling pirated optical media products, but lesser penalties for arrested and convicted violators.

These are only among the problems confronting the Optical Media Board in its campaign against the proliferation of pirated digital, video and compact discs, not only in Negros Occidental, but in the entire country as well.

OMB Executive Director Rosendo Meneses yesterday said a P5 CD containing pirated movies, is being sold for as high as P70. “It is a very profitable business”, he added, in answer to questions why pirated DVDs and VCDs continued to flood the targeted markets, despite the massive OMB campaign.

Meneses expressed alarm over the increase in the production of “Hentai”, a Japanese pornographic anime, whose targeted market are minors. It may look like Japanese cartoons, but it contains pornographic scenes, he said.

To attract its prospective customers, OMB investigations show that it was distributed free of charge in some areas of Metro Manila.

Meneses said the maximum penalty for a person convicted for violation of RA 9239, or the Optical Media Act, is six years of imprisonment, while the bail is set for P2,000 for an arrested violator.

“It is very easy for arrested violator to post bail as he/she earns a maximum of P5,000 a day for selling pirated DVDs and VCDs alone, Meneses, who witnessed yesterday the destruction of P400,000 worth of confiscated optical media products at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City, said.

This was on top of the 11-foot container loaded with pirated DVDs and VCDs confiscated by the Negros Occidental police intelligence operatives led by Senior Inspector Argel Ancheta in separate operations, which previously shipped to OMB Central Office in Metro Manila for destruction.

Meneses said their campaign is now directed at the manufacturers of pirated optical media products. “Hopefully, if we are able to hit them, we may be able slow down the distribution of pirated DVDs and VCDs in the markets,” he added.

He also thanked the NOPPO under the leadership of Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco for its own initiative in running after retailers and sellers of pirated DVDs and VCDs in Negros Occidental.

Meneses said they are now lobbying for the amendments of RA 9239, that will provide stiffer penalties for arrested and convicted violators, and an increase of their proposed budget of P25 million to P35 million for this year, which is being supported by some senators.

NOPPO intelligence operatives are deputized agents of OMB in Western Visayas. *GPB

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