The pro-divorce movement yesterday lashed out at the Broadcasting Authority for “censoring” and banning promotional clips that quoted Cana Movement founder Mgr Charles Vella speaking about divorce, insisting it had every legal right to use the footage.
The edited clips used in the TV adverts were faithful and true to the substance of what Mgr Vella had said in the entire interview, without taking it out of context, themovement said during a newsconference.
The Yes For Divorce, Yes ForMarriage movement is to launch a constitutional case against the Broadcasting Authority tomorrow after it pulled two promotional adverts aired last week on the state television station.
The adverts were withdrawn on Friday following a formal request by Mgr Vella who felt the pro-divorce lobby had used and exploited his “image and personality withoutconsent”.
The clips showed edited excerpts of a short interview on One TV’s Bla Aġenda. Among other things, Mgr Vella had said he was not scared by divorce because of his belief in the sanctity and indissolubility of marriage, but people who could not deliver such a level of commitment should have the right to choose an alternative marriage.
Divorce campaigner and Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando told a news conference the movement was not trying to send out any incorrect messages and said Mgr Vella’s interview on divorce played a part in the his decision to introduce a Private Member’s Bill.
The Broadcasting Authority had not raised objections about the clips, Dr Pullicino Orlando said. But after the spots were aired on Thursday, the movement was informed that Mgr Vella had sent a legal letter to the authority, through lawyer Robert Tufigno, who is on the anti-divorce lobby.
Mgr Vella wrote that he had never given his written or verbal consent to the adverts, which he believed was “a requirement stipulated” by the authority.
“This, in my opinion, is grossly unethical for it goes against my rights and is an attempt to drag me into the divorce debate,” he said in the letter.
The pro-divorce movement was advised to withdraw the adverts but refused. “Then we were informed that the Broadcasting Authority was going to pull them,” Dr Pullicino Orlando said.
Dr Pullicino Orlando said there was external pressure – not by Mgr Vella – to withdraw the spots, adding it was not fair that members of the clergy could only help the lobby group behind the scenes.
Labour MP Evarist Bartolo pointed out that the lobby group did not need to request Mgr Vella’s permission to air comments that were made during a television interview.
“So what is going to happen during the elections? Is the Labour Party going to request permission to use images of the Prime Minister?” he said. Meanwhile, the anti-divorce movement said it was seeking a remedy from the authority following the broadcast by One TV of a number of propaganda spots of two divorce groups.
The movement said the authority had already confirmed that the spots were broadcast in breach of the law and that it had stopped One from continuing to broadcast them.