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Catholic lawyer 'working' on charges over 'sacrilegious' exhibit


After having one of its works vandalized, one of the artists behind a controversial arts exhibit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines may face charges from a Catholic lawyer this week. Lawyer Jo Aurea Imbong hinted over the weekend she is working on the “criminal case" and may file it before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office this week. “Imbong said they are still working on the “criminal case" for exhibiting works that offend religion which they are set to file at the Pasay Prosecutors Office next week," an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site said. Earlier this week, two supposed vandals reportedly defaced a controversial art exhibit at the CCP. Imbong is a lawyer of some Catholics who are planning to sue the artist behind the exhibit and CCP officials. “Now we can see how a disordered act like the scandalous works lead to more disordered acts ... It is for this reason that art, like all media, has a grave social responsibility. It can edify but it can also corrupt its audiences," she said of the vandalism. The CCP Visual Arts department said still unidentified man and a woman attacked the contents of Mideo Cruz’s “Poleteismo" Thursday. The attacked artwork showed a Jesus Christ poster with a wooden penis glued to the face. One part of the installation is a giant wooden crucifix with a bright red penis that can be moved up and down and an icon of Jesus that has a red nose and Mickey Mouse ears. The vandals reportedly wrote words on Mideo Cruz’s works which is part of the “Kulo" exhibit that sparked controversy and elicited protests from some Catholic groups. Despite protests and demands to shut down the exhibit, the CCP insists that there is nothing wrong with it. “Let us keep calm and take into perspective that we need not take this matter personally. We request the arts and culture community to keep vigilant but let us maintain a dignified stance about this," it said. It urged the public to be “proper, respectful and tolerant despite our different views." The CBCP noted that while the CPP is investigating the incident, it has not closed down the exhibit and extra measures have already been put in place. — LBG, GMA News

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