Duterte denies “persecuting” priests, slams Villegas

FILE: Duterte then went on, saying that his ‘issue with women’ is the same with priests. (ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

The President as a response to the statement of the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, denied “persecuting” priests in relation to the recent killings of three clergymen.

During the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-promoted uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on June 13, Wednesday, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte brought up the topic of priests.

“Sabi nung nabasa ko sa ano (What I read was), ‘Stop persecuting priests.’ Wala naman akong sinabi (I did not say anything) and I did not…” he said referring to Archbishop Socrates Villegas’s statement.

In Villegas’s lengthy statement regarding the recent slays of Catholic priests, he said that they “seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit that our leaders in government may arrest the further erosion of law and order in the country and restore respect for human life and human dignity, keeping in mind that they are ‘the king’s good servants but God’s first.’

“Let us implore the grace of God to touch the heart of the President of the Philippines to stop the verbal persecution of the Catholic Church because such attacks can unwittingly embolden more crimes against priests,” he further wrote.

Duterte then went on, saying that his ‘issue with women’ is the same with priests. Alam mo ‘yung pari (You know the priest) is no better than me. May mga pari d’yan tig-dalawa ang asawa (There are priests out there that have two wives),” he said.

He also said that he chose to suppress some police findings given to him.

“Eh babae eh. Pareha kami ng issue ng babae nung pari na ‘yun, babae. Eh pinigilan ko kasi hindi maganda kung mag-sige sila daldal, bitawan ko ‘yan. Sabihin ko, ‘Kung ikaw, pari, kabitin mo ‘yung anak – asawa ng sundalo, kabitin mo ‘yung asawa ng mayor, mamamatay ka talaga.’ ‘Yun sinupress ko ‘yun, hindi ko pinalabas (It is about women. That priest and I have the same issue with women. I suppressed it since it is not good for their image, but if they still talk, I will release it. I will say “You are a priest, but you have affairs with the daughter – wife of a soldier, have an affair with the wife of a mayor, you will really die.’ I suppressed that and did not let it go public),” Duterte explained.

He also said that he sent a copy of the suppressed “matrix” to the chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

“Pero kung ‘yang si Soc karon gusto nila o ‘di ilabas ko. Si Soc Villegas o si… Parang san — ang problema nitong mga buang na ito? Santo lahat sila. Ibang mga gobyerno, mga sundalo o mga pulis, puro demonyo na (But if Soc Villegas wants to suppress… Like what is their problem? It seems like they are saints, but other employees of the government, soldiers, police, are like demons),” Duterte added.