Senator Jinggoy Estrada has expressed concern regarding the accessibility of adult content to minors on the streaming platform VMX (formerly Vivamax). In a recent interview, Estrada, who has a background in the entertainment industry as an actor and producer, highlighted the potential risks posed by such content to young viewers.
“For me kasi ‘yung mga pinalabas ng VMX medyo ano na hindi maganda sa mata ng mga kabataan. I don’t care pagka mga adult ang nanonood, pero pag naka-access ‘yung mga menor de edad, ‘di yata tama kasi anybody can access, even a twelve-year-old kid,” Estrada said. He emphasized that the unrestricted availability of explicit content could potentially expose minors to material that is inappropriate for their age, which could have negative consequences for their development.
“Imagine going to school tapos magte-telepono, panonoorin ‘yung mga erotic scenes,” he added, expressing concern about the ease with which minors could access such material.
In light of these concerns, Estrada mentioned that he had already spoken with VMX representatives, including Vincent Del Rosario, to discuss the issue.
“I already talked with Vincent. He asked for a meeting and we had lunch. I told him, ‘Kailangan magkaroon kayo ng safeguards, safety nets na hindi maka-access ‘yung mga bata,'” Estrada explained. He added that VMX is willing to implement measures to restrict minors’ access to adult content, saying, “They’re going to comply. ‘Yun lang naman ang worry ko, nothing with their income.”
Estrada also noted that while he is also part of the entertainment industry, he is focused on his role as a lawmaker and believes the issue should be treated as a national concern. “Well, syempre ihiwalay ko ‘yung pag-aartista ko sa pagka-senador ko. This is an issue of national concern, kasi mga bata ang maapektuhan dito,” he said.
Meanwhile, Estrada shared that his father, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, was pleased to have been recognized for his contributions to the Philippine film industry. President Erap was bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Gabi ng Parangal held at the Solaire Resort in Pasay last December 27.
“As early as last year, (MMDA) Chairman Artes informed me that my father would receive an award as the founder of the MMFF. It was during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos in 1974 when my father thought of having a local film festival to showcase Filipino movies during the Christmas season,” Estrada explained.
The recognition acknowledged Erap’s role in founding the MMFF, a festival that now showcases local films nationwide during the Christmas season.
“We’re happy. At least na acknowledge, na recognize ‘yung kanyang contribution sa film industry. Actually, hindi naman porket tatay ko yun, sa kanya naman lahat talaga ‘yun. ‘Yung Metro Manila Film Festival, Mowelfund, et cetera,” Sen. Jinggoy also said.
