MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Supreme Court has upheld a decision of the Court of Appeals that found activist and tour guide Carlos Celdran guilty of offending religious feelings.

At issue here is Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code.  The Lower Court said that Celdran “meant to mock, insult, and ridicule those clergy whose beliefs and principles were diametrically opposed to his own.”

The case stems from Celdran’s holding of a protest sign with the word “Damaso” during a Church service. (Damaso is in reference to a Spanish friar in Dr. Jose Rizal’s novel, ‘Noli Me Tangere.)

Today, The Adobo Chronicles learned that a group of still unnamed Filipinos is preparing to file a class-action lawsuit against members of the religious clergy who unfurled a political banner while singing ‘Bayan Ko’ inside a Church.

The group said that the Clergy offended their religious feelings and that the Constitutional provision of Separation of Church and State was violated.

Suing is a two-way street!