The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) released a statement on Thursday warning against "the use of falsified or tampered permits" following the discovery of a fake Permit to Exhibit (PTE) for the film Tatsulok, directed by Jhonny Bobier. The board said the film's independent production company, Tanajuan Pelikula Production, will face the appropriate proceedings subject to due process.

The planned Aug. 29 screening of Tatsulok at Araneta City's Gateway Mall 2 has been canceled, a week after the film premiered in the same cineplex on Aug. 21 using what the MTRCB called a falsified permit.

Mr. Bobier responded in his own statement, posted on his Facebook page, saying the suspended screening "does not cancel the message of a film." The movie is billed as a political allegory about Filipino experiences of injustice, inequality, and institutional failure.

"In fact, there is something almost poetic about a film that speaks about silence, power, and control suddenly finding itself at the center of a situation that demands silence, explanation, and attention," the statement reads. "We will leave the interpretation to the audience."

The MTRCB, created under Presidential Decree No. 1986 in 1985, is the government agency empowered to regulate and classify movies, television programs, and related media content in the Philippines. The board noted that, beyond the falsified permit, its records showed the film did not undergo the necessary review and classification, and that Tanajuan Pelikula Production itself is not registered with the agency. Under Philippine rules, all films shown in public venues must be reviewed by the MTRCB and receive a classification. There are five classifications, ranging from G, suitable for viewers of all ages, to R-18, restricted to viewers 18 years old and above.

The fake permit was discovered on Aug. 21, during Tatsulok's premiere, after MTRCB board member Ma. Cecilia Villarosa saw her name listed among the purported reviewers, which was untrue. "Further scrutiny showed that another Board Member's name was misspelled, the permit had no official MTRCB dry seal, and it was purportedly issued on a date when government work had been suspended due to flooding," the board said.

MTRCB chair and chief executive officer Diorella "Lala" Sotto added that the use of a falsified PTE is "a serious violation." "No producer or filmmaker may bypass the MTRCB's review and classification process through fabricated or unauthorized documents," she said.

It is unclear what penalties or ramifications the production company may face following the warning. The board reminded the public that individuals and entities engaged in regulated activities in the movie and television industry are required to register with the agency. Given that Gateway Cineplex did not discover the falsification sooner, the MTRCB also called on cinemas to independently verify every PTE before allowing any film to be screened — a responsibility that typically falls on commercial venues screening independently produced titles that may not pass through major distributors.

Tatsulok consists of three experimental shorts titled Parapo, Sacrifice Valley, and Kalye Bulag. The first segment premiered on its own in May last year as part of the inaugural FAMAS Short Film Festival, where Mr. Bobier won Best Director. The film is available to watch online for free on Cinemata, a digital platform for social and environmental films — a distribution route that, unlike public theatrical screenings, is not dependent on an MTRCB exhibition permit.

It remains to be seen whether the full-length film will be screened in any capacity following the controversy. In his online statement posted on Aug. 27, Mr. Bobier thanked those who watched, supported, questioned, criticized, and talked about Tatsulok at the premiere.

"Because perhaps the most uncomfortable thing a film can do is not to offend," he concluded. "It is to make people look. And once people start looking, it becomes considerably harder to convince them that there is nothing to see. Nakikita na nila tayo (They can see us now)." — Brontë H. Lacsamana