Citing Pope, raps dropped against rowdy American

Three arrested for mocking Sto. Niño procession

Volunteers and police escort the image of the Senyor Sto. Niño during last Saturday’s solemn procession. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Charges were dropped against an American, his Filipina wife and a companion who were arrested for shouting mocking words during the Sto. Niño procession in Cebu City last Saturday.

Chief Insp. Wildemar Tiu, chief of the Fuente Police Station, said they decided to withdraw citing Pope Francis’ call for “mercy and compassion.”

With this, the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the criminal charge of “ïnterruption of religious worship” and “offending religious feelings” against  Michael Bradley, his Filipina wife, Elcel, and

Rebecca Gonzalez. The three were Born Again Christians, who don’t believe in the veneration of saints or religious icons,   said  Assistant City Prosecutor Ruso Zaragoza.

The police filed the charges on Monday.

“I told him (Tiu) that withdrawing the case might be misconstrued by people, but Tiu said he was touched by Pope Francis’ message of mercy and compassion,” Zaragoza  said.

The three  respondents apologized to Tiu during inquest proceedings at the prosecutor’s office.

Right decision

“I believe Chief Insp. Tiu made the right decision in arresting the three respondents. They can criticize. But please don’t do it during a huge religious activity such as the solemn procession because that will surely offend many people. I told them, you can do it at the parking lot of the prosecutors’ office,” Zaragoza said.

“It’s a good thing they were arrested. Otherwise, they may have been attacked by people who were offended by what they did,” he said.

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