Carlos "Damaso-Killer" Celdran

Charles P. "Carlos" Celdran, born November 10, 1972, is a Manila tour guide, cultural activist, and performing artist. Growing up in Dasmariñas Village, Makati, Philippines, he began his art career at age 14 as a cartoonist for a local Manila newspaper, enrolling at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1991, where he began working in performance art. After university, he moved to New York City, where he lived an openly bisexual lifestyle. It was there that he first witnessed the effect of HIV on the queer community, which eventually led to his reproductive health activism in the Philippines. He continued his career in the performing arts, interning as a production assistant with the Blue Man Group and later working for other performing arts groups as a set designer and/or director. By 2000, Celdran was working as an assistant directors of the Heritage Conservation Society, a non-profit organization working towards preserving historical architecture. There he gained experience in directing historical tours, which set the stage for the launch of his own tour company "Walk This Way" in 2002. In 2005 he became the owner/director of an art exhibition space called The Living Room.

Carlos Celdran is an activist for HIV/AIDS awareness and reproductive health, organizing and appearing at events to promote HIV/AIDS awareness and reproductive health in the Philippines. On September 30, 2010, Carlos Celdran staged a protest action against Church opposition to the reproductive health bill. Dressed as José Rizal, Celdran entered Manila Cathedral during a mass, carrying a sign and shouting "Stop getting involved in politics!" before he was taken away by the police. Once outside the cathedral, Celdran told reporters that Church officials "need to hear what the Filipinos are saying: that 90 percent of the people want the RH [Reproductive Health Bill]." He was charged by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines with "offending religious feelings."

Carlos Celdran, in his role as a cultural activist, is commonly asked to comment in the local and international media on topics regarding Philippine society and culture.

Source: Here

He's a cartoon. I've met him. He's my friend's uncle and he really is a funny guy. He's a well educated Filipino tour guide of the wondrous bomb-haven Intramuros. He's famous for the stunt he pulled off a year ago during a mass. He's my hero since then.

He gained his 5 minutes of fame by storming into the middle the Manila Cathedral, disrupting the ongoing ecumenical mass last September 30.  His agenda?  A protest against the CBCP’s (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines) opposition to the Reproductive Health Bill.

In front of the Manila Cathedral altar Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and several bishops present, He stormed into the building dressed as Jose Rizal, holding a sign bearing the word “Damaso” and screamed “Stop getting involved in politics” before he was taken away by the police. In response, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines filed charges against Celdran for violation of Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code, which prohibits “offending religious feelings.” Celdran was placed behind bars while waiting for charges to be filed but was later released after posting bail.

He says he has good reason to do what he is doing.  He indicated how much support his protest has gain shows how much people want the RH bill to be passed and how much the church should stop getting involved in politics and stop threatening the president.  Earlier that week, the CBCP has threatened to excommunicate President Aquino if he does not change his stance on the Reproductive Health Bill.

You sneaky bastard!

THE CHURCH SHOULD BURN. 

(I'm not an atheist. They just stepping on others' territory. They should stick to praying.)

Source: Here

Carlos Celdran's Blog: Here