Duterte may alienate Christian majority with his ‘stupid God’ remark — solon

President Rodrigo Duterte may alienate the Christian majority in the country with his “stupid God” remark as it reflects his “incessant urge to provoke people and institutions critical of his policies to deflect his shortcomings,” an opposition lawmaker said on Monday.

Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin made the statement after the President’s controversial remark last June 22 at the opening of the 2018 National ICT Summit in Davao City.

“President Duterte’s remarks that ‘God is stupid’ may well lead to his alienating the Christian majority in this country. It reflects his conflictive state of mind and the incessant urge to provoke people and institutions critical of his policies to deflect his shortcomings,” Villarin said in a statement.

On Friday, Duterte said, “Who is this stupid God? You created something perfect and then you think of an event that would destroy the quality of your work. How can you rationalize that God? How can you believe him? So now we’re all born with an original sin. Even in the womb, we already have sin. What kind of religion is that?”

READ: Duterte on God, Catholics and Adam’s apple

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday defended the president, saying his remark probably springs from his personal belief and his frustration with the Catholic Church, especially as he claims to have been abused by a priest.

READ: Roque: Calling God ‘stupid’ could spring from Duterte’s frustration with Church

However, Villarin said, “God sometimes has uncanny ways to bring people to their senses that they alone are masters of their fate. President Duterte has no one to blame, not even God, for what is happening to our country under his watch. In the end he is accountable to the Filipino people, not to himself.”

The opposition congressman said the latest issue adds on to the mounting problems of the Duterte administration that is already “wracked by human rights violations, economic woes, lack of governance, subservience to China, and instability in policies.”

Villarin said the criticisms against President Duterte’s statement was also an indication that he is “slowly losing grip and a portent of an imploding administration that would unravel leading to the May 2019 elections.”

READ: Trillanes calls Duterte ‘evil’ for attacking God, Christianity

Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus and ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro also lambasted Duterte’s remark as absurd and crazy.

“Palagay ko ‘yun na ‘yung sukdulang kabaliwan. Kasi, who in his right mind… unexpectedly sasabihin mo estupido. Nasa rurok na ng pagkwestyon sa katinuan ito,” De Jesus said in an interview.

Castro, on the other hand, said in jest that Duterte could become the first beneficiary of the newly-enacted Philippine Mental Health Act.

“Tingin ko talagang si President Duterte ‘yung magiging unang pasyente, o benepisyaryo nitong kapapasa at pinirmahan nyang Mental Health Act,” Castro said.  /vvp

READ: Duterte signs PH Mental Health Law

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