Mayor Isko laments death of Carlos Celdran: 'Nawalan tayo ng isang tao na talagang pinagmamalasakitan ang Lungsod ng Maynila'

Manila Mayor Isko on Wednesday mourned the death of cultural activist, performance artist, and tour guide Carlos Celdran who passed away on Tuesday.

Celdran was popular for his guided tours in Intramuros, Manila.

“Nawalan na naman kami ng isang promoter,” Mayor Isko said in a Facebook post.

The mayor said Celdran was an advocate of history with great lessons that the city of Manila can learn something from.

“He’s doing it on his own little way, the way he knows it, in fact some people may not understand him, but one thing is for sure, whatever he’s doing, he’s doing it for the city of Manila,” he added.

An advocate for reproductive health, Celdran was critical of the Catholic Church's stance against legislation promoting the use of contraceptives in the country.

In 2010, he gained notoriety for protesting at Manila Cathedral with a placard that read "Damaso" during a service attended by the local leaders of the Church.

In 2013, he was found guilty of "offending religious feelings" under Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code by the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court. He was sentenced to spend between two months and one year in jail. 

In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the decision against Celdran. 

Celdran’s wife Tesa confirmed the news in a Facebook post, saying the activist passed away of natural causes and no further details were made available. — Joviland Rita/LA, GMA News