I cannot believe it. I'm under the sheets in a comfy hotel bed with laptop and aircon and Carlos Celdran is in jail!!
Supposedly he held a protest during mass. That's a crime? Isn't forgiveness divine?
What about all the crooks in government? What about the Ampatuans? Why not jail those instead?
I'm gonna freaking protest until Carlos is free! You know sometimes one needs to freak out to make a point.
Go Carlos!
![Carlos in jail]()
Manila tour guide arrested for heckling during ecumenical service
By Philip Tubeza, Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Popular tourist guide Carlos Celdran was arrested Thursday afternoon after he held a protest in front of the main altar of the Manila Cathedral while an ecumenical service was going on.
Celdran was arrested by police after he began shouting for the Catholic Church to "stop getting involved" in politics during a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the "May They Be One Bible campaign," a joint effort by Catholics and Protestant leaders to distribute five million Bibles to five million poor Filipino families.
He also held up a placard with the word "Damaso," referring to the hated Spanish friar in Jose Rizal's novel Noli Me Tangere.
![Carlos Celdran]()
"Stop involving yourselves in politics!" shouted Celdran, who dressed up like Rizal and also had a top hat, inside the cavernous cathedral.
He later told reporters that he did the stunt because the bishops needed to "hear what the Filipinos are saying."
"Ninety percent of the people want the RH (reproductive health) bill," Celdran said.
But SPO2 Ernesto Andres Jr.—the desk officer of the precinct that sent the cops who arrested Celdran—claimed the tour guide later told police that he was against the reproductive health bill as crafted in Congress. He quoted him as saying ‘"Why are the poor being forced to buy condoms while it is okay for the rich to have as many children as they want?”
Among those present during the ceremony were Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Edward Adams, and several other Catholic bishops.
Protestant bishops Fred Magbanua of the Philippine Council for Evangelical Churches and Nathaniel Lazaro, chair of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines; and Rev. Richard Pridmore, of the Union Church of Manila were also present.
"(Celdran) should not have done that. This is a private and solemn occasion. It reminded me of the (Quirino grandstand) hostage-taking," said Amy Herrera, who attended the ceremony. (My note: EXAGG!!)
She said she saw Celdran enter the Church together with a female but he did not immediately display his placard.
Herrera said Celdran came out through the door on the right side of the cathedral but then returned later and walked to the front of the main altar, with his placard in hand.
"At first I thought it was some sort of play that was part of the ceremony but he kept on shouting especially when someone took his placard. I was alarmed," Herrera said.
Another witness said that Celdran walked towards the front pew, where Cardinal Rosales and other bishops were sitting.
"He was angry. I thought he was going to bash the cardinal with the placard," the witness said.
Security men later approached Celdran and he did not resist when they led him away. He was later brought to the police community precinct in front of the Lyceum of the Philippines.
The police said they would release Celdran should the Church decide not to pursue charges against him.
Celdran would be turned over to the custody of the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 5 in Ermita, the police said.
Andres, desk officer of the MPD Intramuros police community precinct, said that the tourist guide was brought to a hospital for the routine medical check-up and would be brought to Station 5 within Thursday night.
Andres described Celdran to be in a “Charlie Chaplin-like” suit (although other witnesses said he dressed up like the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal) and told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that when he asked the tourist guide why he had disrupted the mass at the Manila Cathedral, Celdran had said, “I am against the RH (reproductive health) bill. Why are the poor being forced to buy condoms while it is okay for the rich to have as many children as they want.”
The MPD officer added that Celdran had claimed to be a cousin of television personality David Celdran.
Andres told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the MPD officials have been asked to hold Celdran in custody at the MPD station 5 and wait for the arrival of a representative of the Manila Cathedral to reprimand and lecture the tourist guide.
He added that it would be up to the Manila Cathedral officials and the Episcopal Commission on Bible Apostolate to pursue a case of alarm and scandal against Celdran. Source
Video here.
Join the Facebook protest.
Supposedly he held a protest during mass. That's a crime? Isn't forgiveness divine?
What about all the crooks in government? What about the Ampatuans? Why not jail those instead?
I'm gonna freaking protest until Carlos is free! You know sometimes one needs to freak out to make a point.
Go Carlos!
Manila tour guide arrested for heckling during ecumenical service
By Philip Tubeza, Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Popular tourist guide Carlos Celdran was arrested Thursday afternoon after he held a protest in front of the main altar of the Manila Cathedral while an ecumenical service was going on.
Celdran was arrested by police after he began shouting for the Catholic Church to "stop getting involved" in politics during a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the "May They Be One Bible campaign," a joint effort by Catholics and Protestant leaders to distribute five million Bibles to five million poor Filipino families.
He also held up a placard with the word "Damaso," referring to the hated Spanish friar in Jose Rizal's novel Noli Me Tangere.
"Stop involving yourselves in politics!" shouted Celdran, who dressed up like Rizal and also had a top hat, inside the cavernous cathedral.
He later told reporters that he did the stunt because the bishops needed to "hear what the Filipinos are saying."
"Ninety percent of the people want the RH (reproductive health) bill," Celdran said.
But SPO2 Ernesto Andres Jr.—the desk officer of the precinct that sent the cops who arrested Celdran—claimed the tour guide later told police that he was against the reproductive health bill as crafted in Congress. He quoted him as saying ‘"Why are the poor being forced to buy condoms while it is okay for the rich to have as many children as they want?”
Among those present during the ceremony were Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Edward Adams, and several other Catholic bishops.
Protestant bishops Fred Magbanua of the Philippine Council for Evangelical Churches and Nathaniel Lazaro, chair of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines; and Rev. Richard Pridmore, of the Union Church of Manila were also present.
"(Celdran) should not have done that. This is a private and solemn occasion. It reminded me of the (Quirino grandstand) hostage-taking," said Amy Herrera, who attended the ceremony. (My note: EXAGG!!)
She said she saw Celdran enter the Church together with a female but he did not immediately display his placard.
Herrera said Celdran came out through the door on the right side of the cathedral but then returned later and walked to the front of the main altar, with his placard in hand.
"At first I thought it was some sort of play that was part of the ceremony but he kept on shouting especially when someone took his placard. I was alarmed," Herrera said.
Another witness said that Celdran walked towards the front pew, where Cardinal Rosales and other bishops were sitting.
"He was angry. I thought he was going to bash the cardinal with the placard," the witness said.
Security men later approached Celdran and he did not resist when they led him away. He was later brought to the police community precinct in front of the Lyceum of the Philippines.
The police said they would release Celdran should the Church decide not to pursue charges against him.
Celdran would be turned over to the custody of the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 5 in Ermita, the police said.
Andres, desk officer of the MPD Intramuros police community precinct, said that the tourist guide was brought to a hospital for the routine medical check-up and would be brought to Station 5 within Thursday night.
Andres described Celdran to be in a “Charlie Chaplin-like” suit (although other witnesses said he dressed up like the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal) and told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that when he asked the tourist guide why he had disrupted the mass at the Manila Cathedral, Celdran had said, “I am against the RH (reproductive health) bill. Why are the poor being forced to buy condoms while it is okay for the rich to have as many children as they want.”
The MPD officer added that Celdran had claimed to be a cousin of television personality David Celdran.
Andres told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the MPD officials have been asked to hold Celdran in custody at the MPD station 5 and wait for the arrival of a representative of the Manila Cathedral to reprimand and lecture the tourist guide.
He added that it would be up to the Manila Cathedral officials and the Episcopal Commission on Bible Apostolate to pursue a case of alarm and scandal against Celdran. Source
Video here.
Join the Facebook protest.