CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Parents who either allow their underaged children to indulge in self-flagellation or, out of negligence, are found to have children involved in such bloody practices this Holy Week could end up in jail, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here warned yesterday.
This, even as hundreds of barebacked and face-covered menfolk started last Monday their penitential vows of self-flagellation in various parts of this province, causing some traffic in some areas as they walked towards the front of chapels and churches. Some of the self-flagellating penitents were noted to be children way below 18 years of age.
“We’d like to respect the sincere intentions of adults in such acts of penitence which is a tradition for many Filipinos, but it’s altogether a different story when children are involved,” DSWD regional information officer Evelyn Manalo told Punto.
Manalo said parents of such children could be held criminally liable for violating Republic Act No. 7610 or “An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination and for Other Purposes” which was passed in the ninth Congress.
Manalo said that such parents who allow, if not encourage their children to engage in self flagellation would be violating provisions of RA 7610 which outlaws “psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment of children.”
This means that parents who are not even aware of their children participating in self-flagellation are not exempt from criminal liability, as they could be charged with neglect, she noted.
RA 7610 provides various jail terms for its violators, depending on the degree of violation committed.
Catholic church authorities have always frowned on bloody penitential practices during Holy Week and only recently, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) came out with an online “pasyon” or “pabasa” (chanting of the Lord’s passion) on www.visitaiglesia.net.
The CBCP said the online version of the “pasyon” or “pabasa” aims to help the faithful better reflect on the passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ this Holy Week. It stressed, however, that the project particularly targets Filipinos abroad and the sick so they may also have the chance to observe Holy Week wherever they are.
The project was initially launched last year, but the site crashed due to the heavy number of users.
The website is a multimedia presentation featuring 14 shrines and pilgrimage churches corresponding with the 14 Stations of the Cross with reflections given by priests.
Despite repeated appeals from the CBCP against bloody practices, no less than 20 penitents are slated to be actually crucified in three barangays in this city on Good Friday.
City tourism chief Ching Pangilinan said the city government will provide security and health services to tourists who are again expected to arrive by the thousands to witness the all-male crucifixions. Five penitents are expected to be nailed on crosses in Barangay San Juan at 9 a.m., three in Barangay Sta. Lucia at 10 a.m., and at least 14 in Barangay San Pedro Cutud at 12 noon. The latter barangay is the most well known for Good Friday crucifixions here because of its colorful reenactment of the last hours of Jesus Christ before crucifixions are done at 3 p.m., reputed to be the hour of Jesus’s death on the cross.
Penitent Ruben Enaje, 50, would again portray the role of the main Kristo to be crucified on a makeshift Golgotha in San Pedro Cutud. This could be his 25th year to be crucified, a religious vow he started as a way of thanking God for sparing his life when, while at work, he fell from a scaffolding.
Enaje, who started to sport long hair four years ago instead of a wig which often embarrassingly fell off during his crucifixion, is set to “retire” after two more Good Friday crucifixions, as his self-imposed vow would have been accomplished by then.
This, even as hundreds of barebacked and face-covered menfolk started last Monday their penitential vows of self-flagellation in various parts of this province, causing some traffic in some areas as they walked towards the front of chapels and churches. Some of the self-flagellating penitents were noted to be children way below 18 years of age.
“We’d like to respect the sincere intentions of adults in such acts of penitence which is a tradition for many Filipinos, but it’s altogether a different story when children are involved,” DSWD regional information officer Evelyn Manalo told Punto.
Manalo said parents of such children could be held criminally liable for violating Republic Act No. 7610 or “An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination and for Other Purposes” which was passed in the ninth Congress.
Manalo said that such parents who allow, if not encourage their children to engage in self flagellation would be violating provisions of RA 7610 which outlaws “psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment of children.”
This means that parents who are not even aware of their children participating in self-flagellation are not exempt from criminal liability, as they could be charged with neglect, she noted.
RA 7610 provides various jail terms for its violators, depending on the degree of violation committed.
Catholic church authorities have always frowned on bloody penitential practices during Holy Week and only recently, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) came out with an online “pasyon” or “pabasa” (chanting of the Lord’s passion) on www.visitaiglesia.net.
The CBCP said the online version of the “pasyon” or “pabasa” aims to help the faithful better reflect on the passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ this Holy Week. It stressed, however, that the project particularly targets Filipinos abroad and the sick so they may also have the chance to observe Holy Week wherever they are.
The project was initially launched last year, but the site crashed due to the heavy number of users.
The website is a multimedia presentation featuring 14 shrines and pilgrimage churches corresponding with the 14 Stations of the Cross with reflections given by priests.
Despite repeated appeals from the CBCP against bloody practices, no less than 20 penitents are slated to be actually crucified in three barangays in this city on Good Friday.
City tourism chief Ching Pangilinan said the city government will provide security and health services to tourists who are again expected to arrive by the thousands to witness the all-male crucifixions. Five penitents are expected to be nailed on crosses in Barangay San Juan at 9 a.m., three in Barangay Sta. Lucia at 10 a.m., and at least 14 in Barangay San Pedro Cutud at 12 noon. The latter barangay is the most well known for Good Friday crucifixions here because of its colorful reenactment of the last hours of Jesus Christ before crucifixions are done at 3 p.m., reputed to be the hour of Jesus’s death on the cross.
Penitent Ruben Enaje, 50, would again portray the role of the main Kristo to be crucified on a makeshift Golgotha in San Pedro Cutud. This could be his 25th year to be crucified, a religious vow he started as a way of thanking God for sparing his life when, while at work, he fell from a scaffolding.
Enaje, who started to sport long hair four years ago instead of a wig which often embarrassingly fell off during his crucifixion, is set to “retire” after two more Good Friday crucifixions, as his self-imposed vow would have been accomplished by then.
