Rhelyn Harder
- President Rodrigo Duterte dishonored the Catholic Church leaders again by saying they are better off dead
- He even called the Church as the most hypocritical institution in the Philippines
- The Palace had formed a team to continuously make a dialogue with the Church, but still, there was no progress achieved
On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte dishonored the Catholic Church leaders again by saying they are better off dead.
Under President Duterte administration, the church seems to be one of his not-so-favored institutions.
Several priests have been killed by unidentified assailants, among them were Fathers Marcelito Paez, Richmond Nilo, and Mark Anthony Ventura, and critics assumed that the ‘freedom’ under the current administration has inspired the killers.
And during his speech on the proclamation rally of the ruling PDP-Laban party, he said, “Holdupin ninyo ‘yung obispo ninyo, maraming pera ‘yan. Pagka lumaban, patayin mo. Maglibing tayo ng obispo. Maniwala ka diyan mga ‘yan. Puro may asawa.”
He even called the Church as the most hypocritical institution in the Philippines because according to Duterte’s the members of the Catholic clergy has used the pulpit to criticize him.
“P***** i**** pari magsabi, ‘Mamatay sana si Duterte.’ What kind of a s*** is that?,” he said.
As he retold the story of his childhood experience in being molested at a Catholic school, it seems that he really doesn’t trust the Church, including the priests and its bishops.
“‘Di ba Friday mass ‘yan, may misa talaga tapos communion, confession. Doon kami hinihipo…. Lahat kami sa totoo lang. Hindi ako magsabi ng ganun kung hindi totoo sa karami namin,” he said.
Since he assumed office as President of the Philippines, Dutertes’s has criticized the Church and its teachings in his speeches.
Despite Duterte’s continuous rants to the Catholic Church, the Palace had formed a team to continuously make a dialogue with the Church, but still, there was no progress achieved, as yet.
