A second complaint against the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and artist Mideo Cruz was filed with the Ombudsman Friday—this time by a born-again Christian preacher.
Lawyer Eusebio Dulatas Jr., a preacher affiliated with the Philippine General Council of the Assembly of God, said his group was also offended by the controversial artwork of Cruz.
The other day a Catholic lay group filed criminal charges also with the Ombudsman against officials of the CCP for displaying what they said was “sacrilegious” art.
Dulatas claimed the artist Cruz, CCP Chair Emily Abrera and CCP President Raul Sunico committed “grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming a public official,” and also violated the Revised Penal Code provision against immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and indecent shows, when they allowed Cruz’s exhibit to be shown.
According to this lawyer, they also violated the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees, he added.
Dulatas said the images of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the saints and the Holy Cross are sacred to Christian denominations, which was why the exhibit “wounded our moral and emotional Christian person’s dignity.”
The exhibit “Kulo,” featured Cruz’s installation entitled “Poleteismo” (polytheism or the belief in multiple gods) which featured images of Jesus Christ or crucifixes draped or juxtaposed with items like a condom and a penis, another object of ancient religious worship.
He said the closure of the exhibit, which came after loud criticism from various religious groups, should not exonerate the respondents.
According to him, the CCP officials knowingly put up Cruz’ work which was “indecent, immoral and offensive” to the Christian religion. The exhibit, he alleged, was not for art’s sake and was deliberately meant to offend.
Dulatas also said the CCP officials and Cruz could not claim that the latter’s work falls under the category of protected speech or expression as guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
“Being obviously obscene, such work cannot be legalized by seeking their shelter thereunder,”
The CCP officials and Cruz should also be accountable for civil damages for vexing or humiliating the belief of the Christian church and causing damage to another person, Dulatas further contended.
“It is an established fact that these images are the very core of religion which intimately communicate and embody the central figures of Christian faith and traditions,” he said, adding that the Civil Code states that any person who causes damage to another must indemnify the latter.
The CCP officials are also public officers, which was why they should observe conduct and ethical standards as required by law, he said. They failed to do this when they showed the exhibit, he added.
On the other hand, former University of the Philippines Law dean Raul Pangalangan said the CCP, by closing the exhibit, failed to uphold the Constitution, which guarantees the artists’ rights to make statements that may offend the majority opinion.