Controversial Dolphy movie faces ban in Cebu City

A controversial film by ace comedian Rodolfo "Dolphy" Quizon faces a ban in Cebu City, if at least two of its potentially offensive scenes are not cut. Radio dzBB's Cebu affiliate reported Wednesday the Cebu City council condemned the scenes involving Holy Communion in the film "Fr. Jejemon." The Cebu City council, in a resolution authored by councilor Edgardo Labella, asked the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to ban the movie until the offensive scenes are deleted. It also asked the MTRCB to have the producers of the film make sure it is not offensive to religious groups. Earlier, Catholic Church officials called for public criticism of the film Fr. Jejemon. “They are negative, the movie does not give a good reflection on the priesthood," former Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and Jaro (Iloilo) Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said. Lagdameo also urged the laity to "speak up" on such issues, even if the supposedly objectionable portions of the film had been cut. But even after receiving information that the objectionable portions of the movie had already been deleted, he still called on the laity to be “most articulate in concerns like this." For his part, Caloocan bishop and CBCP public information head Deogracias Iñiguez Jr. lamented the film was "offensive" in the sense that it tried to elicit laughs from the audience at the expense of Catholic sacraments. A portion of the movie shows a priest giving communion to a woman with the host falling into her cleavage. Another scene shows the host getting stuck in the dentures of a communicant. Iñiguez said the film can impart some "lessons" for priests and faithful. He said the scene where the host falls on the cleavage of a woman should be a reminder for women to "dress properly" in church. As for the scene where the host getting stuck in a man's dentures, the bishop said priests should be reminded to be more careful in giving the host to recipients. But Dolphy was dismayed over the criticisms of the film from religious groups. "Maaring huling pelikula ko na ito eh. E gaganyanin pa ako, kakalabanin ko pa ang Diyos, Susmaryosep (This could be the last movie I would make, why would I defy God? My God)," he said. Also, he added that critics are making too big a deal of it. It's just one scene. — LBG, GMANews.TV