Paulo Avelino airs frustration anew over piracy of Filipino films: 'Industriya po namin ang nalulugi'
Paulo Avelino aired his frustration anew over the unending piracy of Filipino movies and series.
Avelino made the remarks after Kim Chiu, his leading lady in the upcoming Filipino adaptation of the Korean drama What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, gave him a shout-out on X when their Everytime We Touch dance challenge reached over two million views in a day.
In the video, Chiu is dancing energetically while Avelino is simply eating chips.
“Paano ba yan? I think ikaw naman ang sumayaw sa next TikTok ako naman ang mag chips!” she said.
Avelino quote-tweeted Chiu, saying, “Kung walang pirata na lumabas ng WWWSK pag labas sa [Viu]. Kung meron kahit isa... Pass na ako.”
Kung walang pirata na lumabas ng WWWSK pag labas sa @Viu_PH . Kung meron kahit isa... Pass na ako. 🙃#WWWSK https://t.co/elpCNYtYCs
— PAULO (@mepauloavelino) February 22, 2024
A user replied to Avelino, saying it’s “impossible.”
Avelino then quote-tweeted the user, wondering why it’s impossible.
“Bakit naman po imposible? Industriya po namin ang nalulugi sa pamimirata ng mga tv show o pelikula,” he said.
“Hindi lang po kabuhayan namin ang apektado,” he added, “kundi pati narin ang kabuhayan ng lahat ng taong nag ta-trabaho sa likod ng camera. Hindi niyo sila nakikita o kilala pero apektado rin sila.”
Bakit naman po imposible? Industriya po namin ang nalulugi sa pamimirata ng mga tv show o pelikula. Hindi lang po kabuhayan namin ang apektado kundi pati narin ang kabuhayan ng lahat ng taong nag ta-trabaho sa likod ng camera. Hindi niyo sila nakikita o kilala pero apektado rin… https://t.co/IqSZD2RUSS
— PAULO (@mepauloavelino) February 22, 2024
“Wag niyo pong gawing normal ang pamimirata ng mga palabas,” Avelino concluded.
It wasn’t the first time that Avelino spoke against piracy.
In December 2020, a still from his movie Fan Girl alongside Charlie Dizon went viral on social media.
The still showed Avelino’s private part, which was reportedly a prosthetic.
“I also think it’s a form of piracy, itong mga pag-screenshot,” he said during an online press conference.
“Ang dali namang pag-usapan, ang dali namang ikalat ng balita pero huwag naman sa point na ini-screen cap tapos ina-upload pa sa social media.”
In the Philippines, a 2022 YouGov survey commissioned by the Coalition Against Piracy showed that consumers accessing piracy sites have grown to 61 percent from 49 percent in 2020.
Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director General Rowel S. Barba meanwhile said "people would watch illicit content because it is free."