Duterte breaks ’moratorium’ on attacks against Church

President Rodrigo Duterte
(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

President Rodrigo Duterte rehashes his criticisms about God and the Church on Tuesday, breaking his vow not to make any anti-Church rhetoric.

In his speech in Clark, Pampanga a day after he met with Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Archbishop

Romulo Valles at the Malacañang Palace, the President slammed those who used God to criticize him.

“There is a separation of power between any church and state. Huwag mong isali ang Diyos mo doon sa platform of your criticism on your attack because when I answer, kapag sinali mo sa issue, sinali mo ang Diyos, P*t*ng *na, patayin kita,” he said.

“I have tried to answer. There is a separation of powers, why are you f***ing the name of the Lord against me?” he added.

On Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte agreed to a “moratorium” or a suspension of statements about the Church.

“PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) agreed to a moratorium on statements about the Church after the meeting,” Roque said, referring to the president’s meeting with Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Monday.

However, the president broke his promise a day after he made this vow.

In his speech in Pampanga on Tuesday, he said, “Ang Diyos ko, forgiving, ang Diyos ko, hindi bastos. Ang Diyos ko, hindi nagmumura. As a matter of fact, ang Diyos ko, walang sinasabi kundi, except the 10 commandments.”

“And then when you use God to say that I’d go to hell, you know my God never created hell because if he created hell, he must be stupid God.

My God is not stupid to create man just to burn him in hell. Hindi ako naniniwala ng ganon,” he added.