Crucifixion in Kapitangan, Bulacan.
Buboy Dionisio and John Safran.
I only learned later on from Australian blogger CBMused, who saw some of my pictures on my facebook account, that John Michael was recognized by the Australian press to be John Safran (born 13 August 1976) an Australian documentarian and media personality, well known for pranks and indelicate handling of controversial issues. Some of his stunts includes running naked through the streets of Jerusalem, being baptised in Africa, placing a Voodoo curse on his ex-girlfriend, getting a Catholic priest to review death metal music and of course his now infamous Crucifixion in Kapitangan.
If you want to know more of John Saffran you can read the Wikipedia entry about him here.
I am not here to attack the motivation of anybody. I can only state that John managed to fool everybody and that he has guts. I wouldn’t run naked through the streets of Jerusalem nor let me be crucified.
I was surprised to read on the internet that John Saffran was not the first foreigner to be crucified in the Philippines. Some foreigners have previously been crucified including a Belgian !!!!! :-) nun and a Japanese man, who later allowed footage of his ordeal to be used in a pornographic film. In 2006 Dominik Diamond, a British broadcaster, chickened out and wept after watching nine Filipinos take their turn to be nailed on crosses and realizing that his turn was next. “God wanted me only to pray at the foot of my cross,” he sobbed, sinking to his knees and praying as local people and tourists started to boo.
The event, which is not endorsed by the Church, has developed over the
years into a major tourist attraction and pulls in thousands of fascinated
onlookers. Some locals agree that it became a big media circus and a tourist attraction but for some the real essence remains. Buboy Dionisio is without doubt one of those.