Duterte forms committee to hold dialogue with Church, other groups
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has formed a three-man panel to hold a dialogue with the Catholic Church and other groups amid a rift between the government and the Church, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
In a press conference in Davao City, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte designated him, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella and Pastor “Boy” Saycon.
“Inaanunsyo ko po na tinalaga po ng Presidente ang inyong abang lingkod, kasama po si Boy Saycon at saka si Usec. Ernie Abella, para maging komite na makikipag-usap at makikipag-dayalogo po, hindi lang sa Simbahang Katolika, kung hindi po sa lahat ng grupo na nais magkaroon ng dayalogo sa panig po ng gobyerno,” Roque told reporters on Tuesday.
“Kahapon lang po ito nadesisyunan ni Presidente. At ngayong araw po, nakipag-ugnayan po ako kay Mr. Boy Saycon na simulan na ang proseso para magkaroon ng dayalogo. Syempre po unahin natin sa Simbahang Katolika, bagamat bukas din po ang pinto para sa mga born-again Churches,” he added.
This came after Duterte has drawn flak for saying he found fault in the creation story in the Bible and questioned God’s logic, saying He is “stupid.”
But in a speech on Monday, the President, who was born and raised as a Catholic, claimed that he was not referring to his own God when he labelled Him as stupid.
He also claimed he made the statement in relation to his criticism against Sister Patricia Fox, a missionary nun who has drawn his ire for supposedly being anti-government.
A review of the transcript of the President’s speech, however, shows no mention of or any reference to Fox.
Duterte said that nobody has the right to “bind” him to a certain belief, and that it was up to him whether to believe in God or not.
“If I choose not to believe in any god, what’s the “f*****g thing about it? It’s about freedom to choose one,” he said.
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