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A BICOLANO lawmaker
on Monday moved to re-
peal a prdvision in the
Revised Penal Code pe-
nalizing an individual on
the basis of "offending
religious feelings."
Under House Bill (HB)
5170, Albay Rep. Edcel
Lagman said he wants to
get rid of what he called
"aichaic" Artide 133 of the
Revised Penal Code in
memorv o{ activist Carlos
Celdrai.
Article 133 Drovides:
"The penalty df arresto
mavor rn rts
period'to prision correction-
al in its minimum Deriod
shall be imnose.i' ,!Dnn
anvone who. ln a Dhcdde-
voied to religious' worship
or during the celebration of
anv relisious cferem\fiv
shill perlorm acts notori-
ouslv'offensive to rhe fppl-
ings'of the faithful."
Lagman said Article 133
is "utterlv subiective and
leaves to ihe undue discre-
tion of the court to divine
the inculpatorv element of
'wounddd relisious feel-
ings'. It is an imorphous
offense and fails to sit anv
objective standards on thi:
gravamen of the crime."
He said the repeal of
Article 133 of the ftevised
Penal Code will foreclose
similar orosecutions and
travails'of well-meanins
cdtics which Celdran unY
iustifiablv suffered and
-endured '
' RYao Ponce'IracPaci
.1'":P49.€.?""..,