Philippines Metal Web Site Taken Down By Local Authorities

April 1, 2009

FilipinoMetal.com, the Philippines' most prominent metal web site has been taken down by the local police and the National Bureau of Investigation (N.B.I.). Four counts of libel and defamation were filed against the web site's owner and his affiliates on March 26, 2009 in relation to the FilipinoMetal.com efforts to root out pay-to-play gigs in the country. N.B.I.'s Computer Crimes Division confiscated all server files for investigation and closed down the web site, including its forums, the following day.

FilipinoMetal.com spearheaded a movement against pay-to-play gigs last year. They released a "scumlist" — a blacklist of all "known pay-to-play organizations" in and out of the nation's capital. The infamous list and all materials related to it are allegedly the source of the legal action. Jet Asinas, proprietor of FilipinoMetal.com, commented, "Yes, we are having problems with the local police, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. We would like to thank everyone who has supported our efforts in curbing out the shameful practices of pay-to-play organizations in our scene. For sure, this is not yet over. These people are just wasting their time and money. They have no case."

The web site is home to 9,000 users and the page enjoys 14,000 unique hits every day. It is the Philippines' definitive resource of local metal news, gigs and more. In the meantime, an offshoot anti-pay-to-play web site was made by non-metal supporters of the movement recently to continue the efforts of FilipinoMetal.com.

(Thanks: Sayuri Kusanagi)

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