Davao City mayor apologizes
CATHOLIC Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates Villegas said he “grieved in great shame” over the comments of Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who cursed Pope Francis for the heavy traffic during the papal visit last January.
“What the world desperately needs now is leadership by example. We have so many leaders in office and many more aspiring to sit in office but are they examples of good citizenship? If the leaders we choose are to be leaders for national progress they must be visionaries and exemplary,” he added.
In a speech on national television after his proclamation as PDP Laban standard bearer, Duterte said he was trapped in traffic in Manila for five hours last January.
Told the roads were closed due to the Pope’s visit, he said he felt like calling the Pontiff to say “Pope, p— ina ka, umuwi ka na. ‘Wag ka nang bumisita dito.”
(Pope (expletive), go home. Don’t visit us anymore.)
VILLEGAS
Duterte yesterday issued an apology and clarified that the curse was not directed at the Pope but to the Philippine government’s incompetence.
“I can never curse my Pope. I was cursing at the incompetence of government. If it was taken by some in that light, I sincerely apologize. I will continue to curse so our suffering nation takes action,” Duterte said.
Describing it as a “great scourge of Philippine politics,” Archbishop Villegas said that corruption goes beyond its “usual face” of stealing public funds.
“Corruption is indeed a great scourge of Philippine politics…Corruption, like a monster, is a devil with many faces,” Villegas said yesterday in a statement titled “Mayor Duterte?”
Without directly accusing the presidential aspirant of anything, Villegas referred to murder and adultery — two things apparently associated with Duterte.
“Killing people is corruption. Killing is a crime and a sin whether it is done by criminals or public officials no matter what the intention,” the prelate said.
“Adultery is corruption. It makes married love cheap and uses people for pleasure. Adultery corrupts the family; it destroys children and victimizes the weak,” Villegas added.
Duterte, in a no-holds-barred speech before supporters on Sunday in Taguig City, opened up about his personal life, speaking not only of having two wives but of two girlfriends, as well. He also admitted to killing a few people.