(POLITIKO) Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada has questioned the existence of the Optical Media Board (OMB), saying it is time to abolish the agency.
During the OMB budget deliberations in the Senate plenary on Tuesday (Nov. 12), Estrada said the OMB’s mandate of cracking down on film piracy is no longer needed in the age of digital streaming.
“Nobody is into piracy today. I think that was your main function before — to catch all the film pirates and to file cases against them. So, what is the duty and responsibility of this agency now?” Estrada said.
“I hope you won’t be offended but the OMB has to or must be abolished,” he added.
Estrada said he has a pending bill on the abolition of the OMB, adding that the 52 plantilla employees could be transferred to the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, or other relevant government agencies.