Top Arroyo aide wants ‘Da Vinci Code’ banned in RP

Very early Thursday morning, I saw this headline on INQ7.net: Top Arroyo aide wants ‘Da Vinci Code’ banned in RP.

The story says:

CATHOLICS and other groups calling for a ban in local theaters of the Hollywood film "The Da Vinci Code" found an ally in Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

"I think we should do everything not to allow it to be shown," Ermita told reporters in a news briefing Wednesday.

Expressing his personal view on the movie, Ermita said the Philippine board of censors "should be able to take a look at their guidelines on whether such a movie with such a storyline should be allowed to be shown in the Philippines."

Ermita, a former member of the board of censors during the martial law period, said he has yet to read the book, but branded the movie as "blasphemous."


I never expected that someone in the government would want Da Vinci Code to be banned. But as I always say, anything is possible.

On the other hand, Mr Ermita should realize that not everyone in this country is Catholic. Further, he should not speak for the Catholic Church simply because he should not and he simply cannot label the movie is blasphemous because it goes otherwise on his beliefs. Plus, I don't believe that Mr Ermita has already watched the movie. He simply has shown that he already has made up his mind even before reading the book nor watching the film.

We are already on the 21st century yet many of us in this country think that we have the right to force what we believe in on other people. Many of us here think that it is proper to think for other people.

C'mon, guys, get real! I also have my right to watch what I want to watch as much as I can't force others to watch what they won't.

I suggest that government officials should rather focus on problems this country is facing such as population explosion, lack of basic services in government hospitals, graft in almost nook and crany of the country, bad roads, etc.

However, if Mr Ermita and other Catholic groups are so adamant in what they want, then this country is going nowhere, and surely, I'd rather not be Catholic if only to stay away from bigots.