Lacson welcomes panel to dialogue with Church
Senator Panfilo Lacson yesterday welcomed Malacañang's effort in creating a fourmember panel to dialogue with the Churches whose leaders and members have been offended by President Rodrigo Duterte's calling Christianity's God "stupid."
"Maganda ang ginawa na bumuo ng 4-man team. Marami ang nasaktan sa pahayag ng Pangulo tungkol sa Diyos," Lacson said on Super Radyo dzBB in an interview with Nimfa Ravelo on Sunday.
Duterte's "stupid God" remark in a speech in Davao City has drawn criticisms from leaders of Christian churches, politicians and several civic groups, prompting Malacañang to create a panel to dialogue with the "offended" churches.
In that Davao City speech, Duterte berated God for causing "the fall of Eve and Adam" in the Genesis story. He also scoffed at Christianity's doctrine of original sin.
"Mas mabuti nang magkalinawan sa pamamagitan ng dialogue. Karamihan sa mga Kristiyano nagakakaisa sa pag-intindi sa sinabi ng Pangulo. Malinaw naman ang narinig nating lahat."
Lacson was one of the those who strongly reacted to the "stupid God" remark. "Between him and my God to whom I pray every single day and with whom I've found solace and comfort in all my difficult times, I don't even have to think of my choice," Lacson earlier.
But the senator said he still continues to support the President. There is only differences in the interpretation of what Duterte said of God to drive home a point.
"Ang mas tinitingnan ko ay what the person does rather than what the person says. The president wants to do a lot of things, of course he cannot do all things. Ang bottom line ay ang kaniyang output on his campaign promises."
"Ang mabuti sa diyalogo ay magkaliwanangan. Kaya mabuti ang dialogue at magusap-usap kung ano ang makabubuti sa bayan. Kasi naging divisive ang statement ukol sa Diyos. Sukdulan na. I believe that he crossed the line."
Also, he pointed out the the President must level up his statesmanship. He should begin to do things to unify the Filipinos --both the 16 million who voted for him and those who didn't.
"Tapos na ang eleksyon so dapat magkakaisa na."
The dialogue with the Church is necessary, he said. "Kailangan yan para magkaroon ng pagkakaunawaan kasi sabi ng pangulo 'di ninyo lang ako nauunawaan. Mabuti na rin na magkaliwanagan kung ano ba talaga ang ibig niyang sabihin sa ating Diyos."
Last Saturday, Malacañang said that Duterte will have a one-onone dialogue with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao City.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said this was agreed upon in a "no holds barred" meeting he had with Papal Nuncio Gabriel Giordano Caccia last Friday.