Artist Mideo Cruz a no-show at Senate probe into controversial exhibit

10:31 am | Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Mideo Cruz. INQUIRER PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Mideo Cruz, one of the artists behind the controversial “Kulo” exhibit, was a no-show when the Senate began its inquiry into the matter on Tuesday.

Senate Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada immediately moved that Cruz be subpoenaed in the next hearing when the Senate education, arts and culture joint with public information and mass media started its proceedings at about 10:00 a.m.

It was Estrada, who initiated the investigation after he delivered a privilege speech last week, calling for the resignation of all Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) officials, who approved the exhibit, showing defaced religious figures.

The committee secretary said an invitation was sent to Cruz last August 10 and the committee received an acknowledgment receipt through email from the artist.

But Cruz, the committee secretary said, did not confirm his attendance and made no reply when the committee attempted to contact him again.

At that point, Estrada moved to subpoena Cruz.

But Senator Edgardo Angara, chairman of the education committee, gave Cruz until 12:00 noon to show up in the hearing before issuing a subpoena against him.

CCP and Catholics Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) officials attended the hearing.

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Tags: Arts , Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) , Culture , Lifestyle , Mideo Cruz , Religion , Senate

Anonymous

No-show!!! guilty or coward. Di nya kayang idepensa yung “art” nya.
come on, show up next time. Ito na yung gusto mo, SIKAT ka na.
Baka kunin kang endorser ng ashtray, condom, viagra, disney world etc.
victor corpuz

‘mag exhibit sa Luneta ng family pictures ni medeo, gawan din ng “art”……sorry medeo you’re in the wrong country…..walang baragan ng pananampalataya…….
Anonymous

Itong si Jinggoy may privilege speech pa ngayon naman senate investigation. Ano ang iimbestigahan ng senado na mali si Medeo dahil ang penis dapat sa baba at hindi sa mukha.

Kung pagdedebatehan ay art, gaya nga ng kasabihan,
“If Beauty is in the eyes of the Beholder, then Art is in the eyes of the Artist”
In short, beauty si medeo at beast si Jinggoy para patulan pa ang ganito.
http://twitter.com/CrocLolong CrocLolong

BAKIT ANG BANSA NAATIN GANITONG KAKORAPSYON KAHIT MGATAO AY RELIGIOUUS. ANONG MALI SATIN MGA PILIPINO. SENADO AY DI KO MAINTINDIHAN KUNG ANONG TRABAHO NG MGA SENADOR NATO/ PURO INVESTIGASYON PRO WLANG NANGYAYARI. IYON MALILIIT NA TAO KAYANGKAYANG NILA PRO SINA GMA AT MIKE ARRUYO DI NAMAN NILA KAYA.
Josephine Acosta-Pasricha

Marilyn Monroe’s 25 foot statue, in her “some like it hot” dancing pose, is trending in Chicago. Men like to pose with it, hugging her legs, perhaps kissing her toe, peeping under her wind blown skirt and looking at her panties. It is quite kitch.
It is not the case with the Cruz works. And the legislature is wasting time, energy and money holding a hearing on them. It is in aid to legislation?
It is a problem that can be solved within the CCP with the application of the Miller three-pronged law.
Is it obscene?
Does it scandalized the average reasonable citizen?
Does it have any artistic merit?
Only one person who complains that he/she is scandalized, specially children, is enough to shoot down the work and closed down the exhibit
That is the MIller Law.
Regardless of the right to freedom of expression, or freedom of religion.
Josephine Acosta Pasricha, specialist on Aesthetics and art critic
Anonymous

Mr. Cruz, just in case you decide to go appear before
the senators, here’s an unsolicited suggested answer to the question “What was your intent in
creating you the Poleteismo?”

“In the light of the Satanic Verses and the Danish cartoons on
Mohammad cases, I wanted to find out if
there is any marked difference between Catholics and Muslims in their responses
towards perceived attacks on their religion. I felt that what the experiment would yield would be
revealing and interesting considering Christ’s teaching of love of enemies and
of turning the other cheek. It was not just to satisfy my curiousity but that
the results might somehow bring about desirable changes. I must
admit that I have always harbored some doubts about whether or not Catholics are
Christians the fact that stealing is against the Ten Commandments and yet, we,
the only Christian nation in Asia, are one of the world’s most corrupt
countries. The firestorm ignited by my art work has confirmed my nagging suspicions
that Catholicism as practiced in this country
is not the same with the religion taught by Christ as recorded in the Holy Word
but is more akin to Islam when responding to adverse stimuli. From day 1, I
have not seen any manifestation of the
true teachings of Christ in the words and actions of the people who felt
violated by my work.”

Anonymous

My dear Mayer Quirino, you are writing on stereotypes, and if you’re one of those cohorts of Mideo Cruz who as your comment implies wanting as an experiment to test the difference between Catholic Christian and Muslim responses or reactions to grievously blatant attacks on the sacredness of their faith and beliefs you’re in the least misguided. You mustn’t do it, because obviously it is already there since time immemorial, i.e., that Christians are tolerant and Muslims are intolerant. About present-day Philippines you shouldn’t link nor equate corrupt Filipino leaders with the country as being the most corrupt nation globally neither should you doubt or hint that Catholicism as practiced in the country is not in accord with that taught by Christ. They are—Catholicism in the country is even more observant of Christ’s teaching and the faithfuls more pious than anywhere else in the world except in the Vatican. The ratio of the number of corrupt officials in the country to the Philippine’s pious population is almost nil compared to Jesus Christ’s Apostles’ ratio of 1 is to 12, the 1 being Judas. Needless to state, notoriety can be found even in the most religious family. I have traveled around the world and without exception the people of every country I sojourned to intimated a complaint that their country is the most corrupt in the world. These of course are exaggerations, but the point is never accuse our beloved Philippines as most corrupt on the basis of several public officials’ misdeeds because these corruptions are only symptoms of very poor national leadership. And that is the fault of the pious electorate for being easily deceived by few glib-tongued politicians who reneged on promises and turned corrupt. And so if the Philippines’ national leadership is strong and honestly dedicated to good governance bereft of anomalies, then you’ll say that our country is paradise. MBM

Anonymous

Of course, Mideo Cruz won’t show up at the Senate because he’s not only afraid of a violent attack on his person on his way to the Senate but his case is totally indefensible although some cash-hungry lawyers may yet cuddles him and accompany him to the Senate.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Guyana/1194321435 Jim Guyana

Mideo Lalaki naman pala si cruz

Anonymous

Kung hanggang ngayon hinihintay pa si Mideo Cruz na mag appear sa Senado na hindi tinatapos pa ang pag “sisensionalize” nitong ginawa nitong Cruz na ito, yan ay palatandaan na majority sa Senado ay hindi alam ang mataas na moralidad ng Pilipinong Katoliko dahil silang majority ay talaga namang makasalanan. This Mideo Cruz in the Senate only reveals to the public that majority in the Senate is still searching in the dark for the parameters of what is morally right and evil deeds in a Christian civilized society. The only discernible reason is that they themselves are lovers of moral depravities that they want yet to know the how much and why this morally depraved Mideo Cruz of execrable, ignoble upbringing enjoys his crappy craft. MBM
http://www.facebook.com/people/Simon-Jaring/100001072073145 Simon Jaring

does anybody know the real portrait of Jesus Christ? i think nobody does. then mideo is not guilty? yes, he is guilty , no doubt. because he is an artist, not a science teacher teaching about reproductive organ, why he would do that?

Anonymous

pare, think first before you post,if he did not know about reproductive organ why he made that.bobo ka pala

Artist Mideo Cruz a no-show at Senate probe into controversial exhibit

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