Do not harm priests, or I will be your enemy – PRRD
President Duterte has warned lawless elements against harming priests and other religious leaders after Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle relayed the information that some clergymen have been receiving death threats.
At the administration's campaign rally in Cebu City Sunday night, the President told lawless elements to "lay off" the members of the religious sector, saying he would be their enemy if they endanger their lives.
"Do not touch the priests. They have nothing to do with politics. Either Muslims or Christians, they had nothing to do with us,” the President said in Bisaya.
"Do not do it. Do not try to do it. Ang religious has nothing to do with the vagaries of life. Lay off…Stop threatening them or ako makalaban ninyo [or else I will be your enemy],” he warned.
“Oras na galawin ninyo ang mga madre o pari o Imam… huwag ninyo silang galawin. Those are religious people. Kapag ginalaw ninyo ‘yan, tayo mag-enkwentro diyan [Do not harm the nuns, priests or Imam. If you harm them, we will clash],” he added.
The President intimated that Tagle sent a text message about the death threats received by Bishop Pablo David and some priests supposedly coming from someone claiming to be working for his family. The cardinal's message, sent through former Palace aide Christopher Go, was read by the President in the Cebu rally.
"Good day po. Greetings from Rome. I was informed that Bishop David and some priests got death threats from someone claiming to be working for the President's family. Just to let you know baka may naninira. Thanks," Duterte, quoting Tagle's text message said.
He also read Go’s reply to the cardinal that belied the President’s involvement in any attempt to harm the priests. Go told Tagle that some people may be using the President's name to make such threats.
"Wala pong ganoon cardinal (There is no such thing, Cardinal)," the President, said reading Go's text reply. "Just to let you know there are persons using the name of the President and his family to threaten kaya dapat ninyo malaman. Ingat po," he added.
The President made the rare defense of the religious sector after his repeated tirades against the alleged corruption and abuses hounding the Catholic church.
Duterte, irked by some bishops critical of his war on illegal drugs, even suggested in jest for street idlers to rob and kill the rich bishops. Some Church officials criticized the President for the remark that allegedly promotes criminality.
Allow gays to marry
In the same Cebu gathering to court the votes for his chosen 12 senatorial candidates, he made a proposal to solve the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic church: Allow the clergy to marry.
Duterte made the suggestion as the historic four-day global sexual abuse meeting called "The Protection of Minors in the Church" in Vatican came to a close.
"They should allow the priests to get married so there will be no problem anymore. That's the only solution," Duterte said in Bisaya.
"Even the gays, allow them to marry. I am for same-sex marriage. Let us not kid each other anymore," he added.
And this goes for priests, too claiming that four of five priests are homosexuals.
Last month, Duterte said that gay bishops should come out in the open and be allowed to have boyfriends, claiming that majority of bishops are gays and that the Catholic Church should now embrace homosexual kinship among the clergy.
But the President doubted if people
will still believe a gay bishop.
"Karamihan sa kanila bakla. O tingnan mo. Wala akong ano sa bakla. Eh sa dormitory ang ka-roommate ko bakla man (Most of them are gays. I have nothing against gays. I even had a gay roommate in the dormitory)," he said.
"Pero sila (But they), they should come out in the open, cancel celibacy, and allow them to have boyfriends also. Ang problema kung sino'ng maniwala sa iyo (The problem is who will now believe in you)," he added.
Duterte, who earlier revealed he was molested by a priest when he was still a student said he would not mind if attacking the Church will cause his downfall.
"No politician of recent memory makipag-away diyan sa Vatican pati sa pope. Nagka... mahiya sila dito sa akin (No politician in recent memory would stand up against the Vatican and the Pope. They would really be embarrassed because of me)," he said.
"Ako (Me), so be it. If it will cause my downfall, I will accept it. If I die or totally destroyed or discredited as a politician, that would be my destiny," he added.
The President then explained that he is intentionally attacking the Church, because they should not be like politicians who use their platform to criticize the government.
"Kasi inaatake nila ako sa pulpito eh. Huwag mong gamitin ito kasi parang Liberal Party ka na rin o PDP Laban ka diyan nagsasalita (You are attacking me in the pulpit. Do not do that because you are now like the Liberal Party or the PDP Laban when you do that)," Duterte said.