Palace says Tagle’s homily about ‘bullies’ does not refer to Duterte

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte bids farewell to the residents of Balangiga after witnessing the official handover of the Transfer Certificate of the Balangiga Bells at the Balangiga Auditorium in Eastern Samar on December 15, 2018. SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Malacañang on Tuesday, December 18, said Manila Archbishop Cardinal Tagle’s homily about “bullies” who abuse their power to belittle others was not pertaining to President Rodrigo Duterte.

On the first night of the traditional Simbang Gabi in preparation for Christmas Day, Tagle said that even though a person obtains a position, it does not give him or her the right to destroy other people.

Quoting St. John the Baptist, Tagle stressed, “Huwag mong gagagamitin ang iyong kapangyarihan mambastos. Huwag mong gagamitin ang iyong kapangyarihan para piitin o i-coerce ang iba. Huwag mong gamitin ang iyong armas para magparatang ng hindi totoo (Do not use your power to be vulgar. Do not use your power to coerce others. Do not use your arms to spread distorted truths).”

[READ: Tagle opens Simbang Gabi with homily on power play, bullying]

During the press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo was asked if he thinks Duterte felt “alluded” to Tagle’s homily, to which he answered, “No, because he doesn’t bully people.”

“He expresses his sentiment on a particular matter, situation. He expresses dislike and he explains it.

He threatens criminals, yes, to make them feel threatened and stop doing their criminal acts,” he added.

The spokesman stressed that those people in power who abuse others cannot be only referred to government officials, but also to those in the Church.

“If you use the pulpit for bullying people then it’s the same.

If the message is in the generic or general term, then I agree,” Panelo said.

“You cannot be using power to bully or coerce people.

The President is against that, too,” he continued.

Tagle did not mention names of any political figure, but his remark came after Duterte’s verbal attacks against the members of the clergy, most recently was when he said that “useless” Catholic bishops critical of his administration should be killed.

[READ: Duterte blasts Church anew, says ‘useless’ bishops should be killed]

Prior to this, Duterte also blasted Caloocan Bishop Virgilio David, a vocal critic of the government’s drug war, claiming that the prelate is into drugs and that he steals from Church offerings. The latter, however, denied the accusations.

[READ: Bishop David refutes Duterte’s drug claim: I only take vitamins with fruit shake]