MANILA, Philippines – The sight of bikini-clad women crushing animals to death may give some perverts a real kick, but Congress isn’t amused. Animal “crush videos” will soon be a crime punishable with imprisonment under a bill filed by a member of the House of Representatives.
Buhay party-list Representative Irwin Tieng’s House Bill No. 4595 (An Act to Prohibit Animal Crush Video and Providing Penalties for Violations) seeks to stop the business of Internet operators who sell videos of bikini-clad Filipino women crushing animals to death. The videos are usually sold to foreigners for as much as $1,000 per show.
Most of the victims of the macabre entertainment business are dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys, snakes and frogs, depending on the specification of the patron, the lawmaker said.
“Many animal crush videos are obscene in the sense that the depictions, taken as a whole, appeal to the prurient interest in sex, are patently offensive, and lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Furthermore, the videos are heinous, barbaric and completely unacceptable,” Tieng said in explaining the rationale of the measure.
Under his bill, persons who knowingly sell, market advertise, exchange or distribute animal crush videos will be meted out with imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than seven years, or a fine of not less that P100,000, but not more than P300,000.
“It is hard to believe that this sort of thing even exists, and that a law is needed to prevent it. Animal torture is outrageously disturbing. Common decency and morality dictates that those engaged in it should not be profiting from it, they should be imprisoned. While the torture of defenseless animals is in itself despicable, numerous studies also show cruelty to animals is often the first step leading to violence against people. This law is one step toward ending this cycle of violence,” Tieng said.
The NBI Environmental and Wildlife Protection and Investigation Division (EWPID) earlier said it would sue the operator of a website whose name was withheld pending the filing of appropriate charges.
The charges contemplated against the unnamed suspect are: violation of Republic Act No. 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act; Republic Act No. 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Law; and Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Protection Act.
The case stemmed from the complaints of the Animal Welfare Coalition and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), who got wind of the sale of the perverse videos to foreigners over the Internet late last year.
