Kantang ‘Amatz’ ni Shanti Dope bawal nang patugtugin

BAWAL nang patugtugin sa radyo at telebisyon ang kantang “Amatz” ng rapper na si Shanti Dope.

Ito ang inilabas na kautusan ng National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) sa Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) matapos ngang ireklamo ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) ang nasabing kanta.

Ang nasabing direktiba ay mula kay NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba at ipinadala kay KBP President Herman Basbaño.

Ipina-ban ng PDEA ang “Amatz” ni Shanti Dope dahil pino-promote umano nito ang paggamit ng illegal drugs, partikular na ang marijuana.

“It appears that the singer was referring to the high effect of marijuana, being in its natural/organic state and not altered by any chemical compound.

“We strongly oppose the promotion of musical pieces or songs that encourage the recreational use of drugs like marijuana and shabu. It is contrary to our fight against illegal drugs,” sabi pa ng PDEA.

Pagkatapos matanggap ang resolusyon ng NTC, naglabas naman ng kautusan ang KBP para sa lahat ng kanilang miyembro, (base sa KBP Circular No. 019-030) kung saan nakasaad ang, “Songs with lyrics or messages that are vulgar, indecent mensaheng, promote substance abuse, gender discrimination, racism, Satanism, violence or sexual perversion or demeans a member of any sector of society shall not be played.”

Sa kanyang Facebook account naman idinaan ni Shanti ang kanyang reaksyon sa naging desisyon ng NTC. Maikli ngunit makahulugan niyang pahayag, “Ayy nasa Pilipinas nga pala tayo haha! (happy crying emoji).”

Nauna nang nagpaliwanag ang talent management ng rapper tungkol sa reklamo ng PDEA sa “Amatz”, “The song begins with the persona talking about the ill effects, the violence, and dangers of drugs: ‘Kamatayan o parak / Na umaga o gabi, may kahabulan / Dami ng nasa ataol pa / Hangang katapusan laki ng kita sa kahuyan.’

“It then continues to talk about the lessons from the persona’s father, and how this persona was challenged to go beyond the expected.”

“This is all in the first part of the song. And NONE of it promotes marijuana use.

“In fact it clearly shows the persona taking a stand against illegal drugs, while at the same time pointing out that what has made him ‘fly’ (so to speak) is not drugs, but music.

“By the time we reach the song’s chorus, “amatz” already refers to precisely the music through which the persona found his identity — not any form of drugs, but the natural high of creativity and knowing he is the only one who knows to do what he does.

“This is what the next verse then focuses on, complete with the ideological anchor of Shanti’s upbringing in Buddhism, with references to concepts such as mahamantra and chakra, as a response in the end to those who think they know the persona, but in fact know little about him.”

“To take apart a song and judge it based on certain lyrics that offend us is unfair to the songwriter; to presume that our reading of a song is the only valid one is offensive to an audience that might be more mature than we think,” ang mahabang paliwanag ng kampo ni Shanti Dope.