Duterte willing to be crucified during Holy Week if Catholic Church can refute ‘Altar of Secrets’

January 10, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he would have himself nailed on the cross during the Holy Week if the Catholic Church could dispute the expose in a book about the alleged corruption and sexual scandals involving the clergymen.

Duterte even brought two copies of the book, "Altar of Secrets. Sex, Politics, and Money in the Philippine Catholic Church," written by late journalist Aries Rufo, and gave them to the audience.

"If they could refute it and they would say that there's one thing that is wrong here, wait for the Holy Week, I will have myself crucified here in Bulacan. That's true," he said in a speech in Bulakan, Bulacan.

"But not that long. Perhaps 30 minutes. I can do it. No bragging," he said.

"As a matter of principle, I will do it. But you correct this. Tell us the truth because us, we had no choice, when I was born, my father and mother are Catholics," Duterte added.

The book contains the alleged corruption and sex scandals involving some Church people, including priests and bishops.

He told the leaders of the Catholic Church, who have been critical of his bloody war on drugs, "you should walk your talk."

He accused the prelates of being hypocrite as some of them would deposit money to a fake orphanage, which in fact was a dormitory for their own children.

"You would say that I would go to hell, (in fact) I don't have the ambition to go to heaven unless my wife would really pull me up," Duterte added. Celerina Monte/DMS