Da Vinci Code Now Top Grosser At Black Market In Cagayan De Oro City

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Ben Balce / 06 May) Catholic groups in the southern Philippine city of Cagayan de Oro opposing the showing the controversial film The Da Vinci Code appealed to the City Council and the authorities to stop the proliferation of the pirated version of the movie made famous by author Dan Brown.

Pirated copies of the film are now top grosser in the black market. The movie, based on Brown's longtime research, questioned Jesus Christ's relationship with Mary Magdalene and suggested that the two had an affair and a child named Sarah, which was disputed by the Catholic Church, but drew support from atheists around the world.

Catholic groups which called for the banning of the film have asked the City Council and the police and representatives of the Media Optical Board to stop the selling of pirated copies of The Da Vinci Code, named after famous painter and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci, who was believed to have put a code in his painting of the Mona Lisa about Christ and Magdalene.

The Pilgrim Christian College and the local Catholic Church have also aired similar appeals, but authorities seemed helpless in stopping the sale of the pirated movie here.

Councilor Reynaldo Advincula said he was also able to buy a copy of the pirated film for only P25 at the public market. Advincula said pirated copies were flooding different local markets and urged authorities to do something to put a stop in the illegal activities. Genuine VCD and DVD copies of the film sell at P500 or more.

“Even minors could have it for only P25.00 per copy regardless whether it’s Rated 18 by the movie classification board," he said.