Filipino leader crosses God, is nailed
Harsh words for religion cost him fans in Catholic land
President Rodrigo Duterte slams his hand lightly on the podium, as if to show exasperation. Speaking in his usual casual tone, he unloads an expletive-laden tirade over what he sees as a bizarre story rife with stupidity. This is the Filipino firebrand’s style — unfiltered, informal speeches littered with sometimes inappropriate jokes, slang and curses that make his audience feel like they’re listening to a friend and not the leader of their country.
But this time, as he spoke in front of a crowd in the city where he was mayor for more than two decades, Duterte was ranting about a story that many Filipinos hold dear. Mumbling at times and weaving between English and Tagalog, Duterte said:
“What he did was, Eve eats the apple, then she wakes up Adam . ... So Adam eats the apple. Then, malice was born. Who is this stupid God? That [expletive] is really stupid if that’s the case. You created something perfect, and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work. How can you rationalize . ... Do you believe it? ... So all of us now, all of us are born with an original sin. The original sin, what is that? Was it the first kiss? What was the sin? Why original? You’re still in the womb and you already have a sin? It’s your mother and father’s doing and you’re not even included, and now you have an original sin? [Expletive]. What kind of religion is that? That’s what I can’t accept.”
The backlash was swift, and a few days after the June 22 speech in Davao City, Duterte gave another speech, bristling and on the defensive:
“I didn’t say that my God is stupid. I said your God is not my God because your God is stupid. Mine has a lot of common sense. Then now, why do you have to talk about religion? If I choose not to believe in any God, what’s the [expletive] thing about it? It’s a freedom to choose.”
Filipinos have looked past the populist president’s attacks on the pope and the Catholic Church, and even his infamous rape joke about a murdered Australian lay minister, just to name a few examples. Even the president’s brutal drug war that has killed thousands has substantial support, despite condemnation from the Catholic Church and international human rights groups.
But bellicose rhetoric that not only mocks God, but also questions one of the most fundamental teachings of Catholicism? That may have crossed a line among the deeply religious populace and given the Catholic Church fresh ammunition, said Aries Arugay, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
“It’s one thing that Duterte attacks the church; it’s another thing that he attacks God himself,” Arugay told The Washington Post. “The church’s power and political influence might have been in decline; however, that doesn’t mean that Filipinos are not religious and spiritual anymore.”
Filipinos’ approval ratings of their president hit their lowest level since Duterte was elected in 2016, according to a recent survey by Social Weather Solutions. The Manila-based pollster surveyed 1,200 adults from across the country a few days after Duterte’s “stupid God” comment. The results: 65 percent — down from 71 percent in December — said they were satisfied with the president. Twenty percent — up from 14 percent in December — said they were dissatisfied.
Some in the Catholic Church say the dip in Duterte’s popularity was a direct result of his mockery of God. For instance, Filipino Bishop Ruperto Santos told the Manila Bulletin that the drop is a “wake-up call” for the president to reflect on his “abusive and offensive” words.
In a thinly veiled condemnation of the president, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines released a lengthy written sermon July 9 calling out people in power who “boast of their own wisdom” and “blaspheme our God as stupid.”
Arugay thinks there could also be other reasons for Duterte’s sinking popularity. Although the country’s economy is growing, the inflation rate is at its highest in five years, resulting in some apprehension over rising costs, Arugay said. That’s especially problematic in a country where more than 20 percent of its 104 million people live below the poverty line.