MANILA – Malacañang defended President Rodrigo Duterte after the latter called God “stupid” for the concept of original sin.
Critics called the President’s tirades against the Roman Catholic Church blasphemous yet also unnecessary and a diversion from more pressing issues.
“Iyan po ay personal na paninindigan ng Pangulo,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said on Monday. “Alam ninyo iyong ating kalayaan ng malayang pananampalataya, kasama po iyan iyon sa wala kang paniniwalaan na pananampalataya.”
In a speech Friday in Davao City, Duterte criticized the biblical story of Creation.
“Kinain ni Adam, then malice was born. Who is this stupid God? Istupido talaga itong putangina kung ganoon,” he said.
Roque discouraged the public from reading too much into Duterte’s arguments against God.
“Tingin ko ang ating Pangulo ay merong personal na spirituwalidad, pero nasa sa kanya na iyan at hindi na kinakailangang bigyan ng interpretasyon,” he said.
‘CHURCH MUST CONFRONT ABUSE ISSUE’
According to Roque, Duterte’s tirades against the Catholic Church stemmed from his experience of molestation at the hands of a Jesuit priest at the Ateneo de Davao University.
“Ito ay isang isyu po na dapat talagang harapin din ng Simbahan at siguro po nagkataon lang na ang isang Presidente ngayon ang naging biktima. Pero ito po ay talagang hindi pupuwedeng kalimutan ng Simbahan; kinakailangan aminin, humingi ng tawad,” Roque said.
“So that lahat iyong mga naging biktima gaya naman ni Presidente Duterte can also move on with their lives,” said the presidential spokesman.
“At kinakailangan po diyan, in human rights law, iyong tinatawag na reparation, iyong acknowledgement na talagang nangyari ito na sa isang malawakang pamamaraan na ito po ay hindi inaktohan ng napakatagal na panahon at kinakailangang humingi rin ng tawad ang Simbahan sa mga naging biktima na mga kabataan na gaya ni Presidente Duterte noong siya ay bata pa,” Roque said.
‘NOT NEEDED’
Calling God stupid is “completely unproductive and unnecessary,” Sen. Risa Hontiveros said.
“It doesn’t contribute anything to policymaking and implementation. It does not really address any important issues. It doesn’t contribute to making the lives of Filipinos better. It doesn’t even add anything to philosophical discourse,” she said.
President Duterte’s latest remark diverts public attention away from “burning” issues, said Hontiveros.
“It keeps us distracted from China’s encroachment on our territory. It deflects public attention away from the unmitigated skyrocketing price of gasoline. It distracts us from the negative effects of TRAIN (law). It diverts public attention away from the incompetence and corruption plaguing the administration,” she said.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV accused Duterte of blasphemy over his anti-Catholic Church remarks.
“I join the Filipino nation in expressing outrage against Duterte’s verbal attack against Christianity and God Himself,” Trillanes said.
“It is the height of arrogance of power not only to disrespect and spit on an individual’s faith but also to act as though he is god,” he added.
Duterte’s statements, he said, “betray the nature of his evil mind and [are] very much consistent with the deceitfulness, heartlessness and ruthlessness of his policies.”
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian reminded everyone of the need to have respect for God.
“Without pin pointing any religion, ang masasabi ko lang my mother is a pastor. Hindi namin maisip na magsabi ng masama patungkol sa ating Panginoon,” said Gatchalian.
“Ang aking agam-agam diyan, maraming batang Kristiyano na tinuturuan natin na respetuhin ang Panginoon,” he said./PN
