Manila Archdiocese on Celdran's case: We leave law's implementation to gov't

MANILA, Philippines — The Archdiocese of Manila on Tuesday said they are leaving it to the government to implement the rule of law on the case of activist Carlos Celdran.

In a statement, Fr. Roy Bellen, head of the Archdiocese of Manila Office of Communications, said: “The Church has always desired the good of persons and institutions, and we are not only institution with such desire.”

On the decision of the Supreme Court on the case of Carlos Celdran, Archdiocese of Manila Office of Communications head Fr. Roy Bellen says that they are leaving it up to the government in implementing the law. | @EZMacairan

— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) August 7, 2018

“I am sure the government also works for the similar good. And we so leave to them the tasks that are properly theirs especially in implanting the law so as long as the rights and dignity of a person is respected,” Bellen added.

The priest also clarified that while the Church informed authorities on the "Damaso" incident, the Archdiocese of Manila "did not pursue the case against Mr. Celdran."

The SC has recently upheld the guilty verdict against Celdran over the 2010 “Damaso” protest at the Manila Cathedral against the Catholic Church’s opposition to the Reproductive Health law.

The SC stressed that following the Rules of Court, it is not a trier of facts and only “questions of law may be raised” before it.

It added that it accords the highest degree of respect to a trial court’s finding of fact, “especially when the MeTC, the RTC and the CA have similar findings.”

In 2015, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said the Church has long forgiven Celdran. He added: “It was not the Church which filed the case against Celdran. As far as the Church is concerned, it is over.”

“When they appealed to us for forgiveness, former Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales immediately after that said he is forgiven. It was the people of the Philippines vs. him.  It’s a criminal case,” Tagle also said.

READ: ‘Celdran long forgiven by Catholic church’

The case stemmed from Celdran’s protest in September 2010, when he dressed as Jose Rizal before then-Papal Nuncio, Gaudencio Rosales, several bishops and attendees of the ecumenical service. He held up a placard with the word “Damaso”—a reference to the villainous friar from Rizal’s novel, “Noli Me Tangere.”

The Manila Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 4 found Celdran guilty of violating Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code or offending the religious feelings.

Celdran elevated the case to the Manila Trial Court and Court of Appeals but he failed to get a favorable ruling. — Kristine Joy Patag with a report from Evelyn Macairan