Duterte won’t take sitting down criticisms of Church, Palace says

July 3, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte would not take criticisms of the Catholic prelates sitting down and he would hit back every time they utter words against his administration, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte would not act like a martyr that he would just be silent.

"They can talk, but the president will also talk back. Do not expect the president to (take it) sitting down. The president won't act like a martyr, (like) okay hit me, but I will not respond back," he said.

He stressed that Duterte is not a "sitting duck" president.

Duterte earlier made controversial remarks against God and the teachings of the Church particularly the Roman Catholic.

He had said that God was "stupid" as he questioned the "original sin."

This drew criticisms from various quarters, prompting Duterte to create a four-man committee to dialogue with the various church groups.

He also promised to shut up in the meantime and not to hit the Church.

However, in a speech in Maasin City, Southern Leyte on Monday night, Duterte again made fun of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

He joked that there is now a "new religion," the "Iglesia ni Duterte."

"Purgatory is also not true. Only heaven is true but don’t believe that San Pedro guards the gate of the… Because if that is so, if I see that the gate there is filled with animal droppings, I will hit him," he said, adding that he would even cook San Pedro's rooster.

But Duterte later said he did not want to pick a fight with the Catholic Church as he would be talking with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines President Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles. The meeting is set on Monday next week in Malacanang.

"Seriously. I don’t want to pick a fight because I am talking to CBCP. Valles is the president there. He’s from Bohol. He keeps on cracking jokes. So we will talk. We get along well with each other," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS