Lipa bishop wants ‘The DaVinci Code’ banned

A Catholic bishop and an anti-pornography group asked the government yesterday to ban the controversial movie "The Da Vinci Code" on grounds that it had placed Jesus Christ and the Christian religion in a bad light.

Archbishop of Lipa, Batangas Ramon Arguelles said the movie, based on the bestselling novel of the same title by American author Dan Brown, would cause injury to the religious sentiments of a majority of Filipinos.

"This is my own initiative," he said. "But I also informed other bishops, including CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, about this – that I took a stand. I think they have the same stand but they are just worried about possible adverse reaction from the public."

Arguelles said he received a text message from Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Chairwoman Marissa Laguardia that read "Thanks for the advice" after he appealed to her to ban the movie.

"I understand her response," he said. "Maybe they still have to discuss the issue."

In a phone interview, Arguelles said he expected the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to support his stand before the MTRCB.

A government official told him the government has no plans of banning "The Da Vinci Code" because doing so would violate the freedom of expression, he added.

However, Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, CBCP spokesman, said the movie should be treated "purely as fiction," and should not be banned.

"If the faith of the people is strong, it would not be destroyed by one novel," he said.

"Both the book and movie are presented the way it should be – as fiction – so the people would not be afraid. It is a work of art and not of science or history so it is not a threat to the teachings of the Church."

Quitorio said the objective of the book’s publisher and the movie’s producer is purely commercial or business in nature.

"If I were in their position, I would also encourage both critics and supporters to keep on talking about my product so it would sell," he said.

On the other hand, the Philippine Alliance Against Pornography Inc. (PAAP) called on President Arroyo yesterday to stop the showing of "The Da Vinci Code" in cinemas nationwide.

"We will appreciate anyone’s freedom to articulate his opinion and allow his imagination to be stretched," Dr. Cindy Dollente-Ang, PAAP president, said in her letter to Mrs. Arroyo.

"It is also a must that one gives Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, due respect that can only be given to the Creator. As Christ’s warriors, we will fight the highly questionable novel and film.

"Your favorable action in stopping the showing of the film will keep the faith burning in the hearts of Christian Filipinos. We will not allow a storyteller’s intellectual dishonesty that raked billions of dollars to spread further and destroy our belief in ourselves and in God Almighty."

PAAP spokesman Aldo Filomeno said that he sent a fax message this morning to United States Ambassador Kristie Kenney asking for help to stop Columbia Pictures, a US based production outfit, from showing the blasphemous film.

"In this crucial hour, we strongly believe that true allies will help each other. ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is an affront to a Christian nation like the Philippines," he said in his letter to Kenney. — With Sandy Araneta