Of Damaso And The Dark Ages

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Free Carlos Celdran Facebook Page

Activist Carlos Celdran has been found guilty of the Damaso stunt he pulled in September 2010. The man purportedly disrupted an ecumenical religious service held at the Manila Cathedral and consequently “offended the religious feeling” of the faithful in attendance. 

Because of this, the trial court found him guilty of violating Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code, which punishes those who “in a place devoted to religious worship or during the celebration of any religious ceremony shall perform acts notoriously offensive to the feelings of the faithful.” 

Celdran was thus sentenced to an imprisonment of not less than 2 months and 21 days to not more than 1 year, 1 month and 11 days. 

From the point of view of religious zealots, the Damaso stunt may be misguided and offensive. But imprisoning the man for an alleged offensive expression based on an outdated penal provision – a throwback from the dark days of the friars – is simply regressive and probably unconstitutional.

Expectations

P.T. No. 1

How's this for an opener: I and my wife Rizza are expecting our first baby! (Insert here my version of Tom Cruise's crazy couch leaps.)

She was supposed to have her monthly period not later than January 20, 2013, but she missed it. And since we have been anticipating this eventuality (we both knew she was fertile in the first week of January 2013 when we deliberately decided to, uhm, jump-start Oplan Baby-Making 2013), we eagerly tried to get a confirmation using over-the-counter pregnancy test kits.

Thrice over a period of 4 days, all 3 tests yielded positive results! Her hCG levels might not have been that high just yet, as shown by the faint line in P.T. No. 1. There is however no mistaking – at least to our minds – that the line indicating positive result has become clearer and more distinct in P.T. Nos. 2 and 3. 

We have been told, however, to temper our expectations. It is too early to tell; this may be a bit premature just yet. So we are planning to get an independent confirmation from an Ob-Gyne this coming Saturday, January 26, 2013.

P.T. No. 3

Looking back, I and Rizza were married on October 28, 2009 when I was still 29 years old and she was just 21. 

I was then a new lawyer, 6 months removed from passing the Philippine Bar examinations. She, on the other hand, was a fledgling Law student at the University of Cebu, my own Alma Matter. 

Ah, how time flies. I just had my 33^rd birthday less than 3 weeks ago; Rizza is going to be 25 this coming July 2013.