ITUESDAY. OCTOBER 22.

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By Maricel V" Crue of any religious cereir.rony, shall perform
acts notoriously offensive to the i'eelings of
LAWMAKER on Monday sought the repeal of a the faithful."
Lagmair said Article 133 was "uuerly
provision in the Revised Penal Code penalizing subjective and leaves to th€ undue discle-
anyone "offending religious feelings." tion ofthe coult to divine the irculpatory
- ..,. element of 'wounded religious feelings'.
Albay Rep. Ldr.ul Llgmrn. rhc prin- unlikc Padre Damaso, the Carhoiic hierar- It is an amorphous offense and fails 1o set
cipal auLhor of the Reprodrrcrire Heelih chyrnusrnotirrrer.fereirrsecularaffairslike any objective standards on the gravamen
Law, filed House Bill 5iT0rogetridofthe preventjng the passage ofthe Reproductive of the crine."
"archaic" Article 133 of the Revised felal Health 8i11, eren as ihe prot€stant bishops He said the repeal of Article 133 rvill
Code in mernory of Carlos Celdran, a fel- did not oppose the rleasure," Lagman said. cnd rl,e rrlails ol \\ell-mean;rg rrirics
low RH advocate. Celdrai, who was charged with violat \ lro suflerunj!,slillabl5 asaresultot ir.
Lagrnan recailed that on S€pt. 30, 2010, ing Article 133 for ,.offeiding religious He said Celdran died a freeman be-
^
Celdra:r, dresseclas national Lrero Jose Rizal, leelings,', died ofa heatt attacfin M;drid cause the Supreme Coutt failed 10 resolve
walked toward the rnair altiu. ofthe Manila oD Oct. B, 2019. witlr [inality lris larest perrding morion
Cathedral, where an ecumenical service was h 2018, the Suprertc Court upheld the for leconsideration of his conviction fcr
being held on the joint distribution ofbibles decision against Celdran. "rvorinding religious feelings."
by Catholic atdProtestant lerder.s. Ar.ticl€ 133 says .,The penalty of afesto "lt is now incumbent on the Congless
_Celdran
raised a placard rvith tire irante mayoL in its maximurn peiiod toprision cor- to accord justice and redress to Celdran by
"Damaso," in lelLrcnce to the villainous tectional in its minimum peiod ;hall be inl- repealing Alticle 133, wliich is "an odious
fiiar from Rizal's nov el l,loli NIe Tangere. posed upon anyone who, in a place devoted r€mnant ofthe D.Lrl( Ages" and 'offensive to
"It was a olcar political statemellt that, ro religious \aolship orduring the celebration the fieedour o1'expression,"' Lagman said.

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