THE man who mixed his saliva with face paint and wiped it on the faces of a couple during the Sinulog Grand Parade last Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, will face three criminal charges.
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will charge Jayson John Tapales, whose act was captured on video that went viral on social media, with grave scandal, unjust vexation and offending religious belief.
Col. Engelbert Soriano, CCPO officer-in-charge, said they’re preparing the complaints and will file these before the prosecutor’s office within the week.
Tapales, a native of Danao City, Cebu, went to the office of Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera on Wednesday, Jan. 22. He issued a public apology, admitting his fault. He said he regretted wiping his spit on couple Roylls Royce and Richelli Lizst Arcilla.
It is seldom for authorities to file a complaint against a person for offending religious belief.
In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeals, finding the late tour guide and activist Carlos Celdran guilty of offending religious belief for his 2010 Padre Damaso stunt inside the Manila Cathedral.
Under Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code, offending religious belief carries the penalty of one month and one day to six months in prison in its maximum period and the penalty of six months and one day to six years in its minimum period.
The penalty is “imposed upon anyone who, in a place devoted to religious worship or during the celebration of any religious ceremony, shall perform acts notoriously offensive to the feelings of the faithful.”
Grave scandal, as stated in Article 200, carries the penalty of one month and one day to six months in prison and public censure.
Article 287 states that unjust vexation, or light coercion, is punishable by one day to 30 days, or a fine ranging from P5 to P200, or both. (AYB / KAL)