After he drew the ire of his critics following his controversial remarks about God whom he called ‘stupid,’ President Rodrigo Duterte formed a three-man panel which will hold dialogues with the Catholic Church and other religious groups, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. announced on Tuesday, June 26.
In a press conference held in Davao City, Roque said Duterte made the decision to hold dialogues with various religious groups on Monday night to address the issue between the Church and the government.
“Alam ko po may separation ng church at state. Hindi po kinakailangan makipag dayalogo pero minabuti na po ng Presidente, sige buksan natin ang proseso ng dayalogo (I know there is a separation of Church and state. There is no need to hold a dialogue, but the President decided to open the process of dialogue),” the spokesman said, adding that there is nothing lose for a better relationship between Duterte and the Church.
Forming the three-man committee are Roque; Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto “Ernie” Abella, a former religious preacher; and Council of Philippine Affairs (COPA) Secretary General Pastor “Boy” Saycon, a political operator who was appointed by Duterte as one of the members of the EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue) People Power Commission.
According to Roque, Saycon will reach out to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), while the spokesman will communicate with the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC).
The Palace official then answered positively when asked whether there is any possibility of reconciliation between the Chief Executive and the Church.
“Dahil nasabi na ni Presidente ang gusto niya sabihin, tignan natin kung papaano mapapabuti ang samahan dahil iisang lipunan naman ang pinaglilingkuran ng gobyerno at ng simbahan (Since the President has said what he needed to say, let’s see how the relationship will be better becausethe government and the church are serving only one society),” he noted.
Responding to this proposed dialogue with the government through a committee, CBCP president Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said in an interview with Radio Veritas, “That is [a] most welcome development. To dialogue, to listen to one another, is always good.”
However, CBCP-Episcopal Commission on the Laity chairman Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo did not look convinced on Duterte’s sudden move, saying that the latter’s proposed dialogue is merely an excuse to ‘diffuse’ criticisms lodged against him after his recent statement questioning God and the Bible.
The Palace earlier defended the President’s pronouncement, emphasizing that it was his personal conviction.