Duterte to meet Catholic Church leader, says top presidential aide
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, are set to meet next week in an attempt to mend the rift between his administration and the Catholic Church.
In a text message, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said the meeting would be on Monday but he did not disclose where the meeting would take place.
“Kausap ko [si]Valles and PRRD, confirmed meeting nila next week,” Go told reporters.
(I talked to Valles and the President, it was confirmed that their meeting was set next week.)
“Constant contact kami ni Archbishop Valles ever since, pag may concern siya,” he said.
(Archbishop Valles and I have constant contact ever since, especially if he has concerns.)
The scheduled dialogue between Duterte and Valles came after Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. held a closed-door meeting with Papal Nuncio to the Philippines Gabriele Giordano Caccia in Manila on Friday.
Roque was designated to represent the President in the Church activity celebrating the day of the Pope.
The President skipped the event, as he went to Leyte to visit the wake of six policemen who died in a misencounter with soldiers in Sta. Rita, Samar.
Duterte instead sent his committee for the dialogue, including Roque.
Emerging from his meeting with the Papal Nuncio, Roque said it was agreed that both State and Church should work together for the benefit of the people.
Duterte recently made headlines after he repeatedly called the Catholic Church’s God “stupid” and questioned its religious beliefs.
The President refused to apologize over his anti-God remarks, but formed a four-man panel that would hold a dialogue with religious groups, including the Catholic Church, to ease the tension between the church and his government. CATHERINE S. VALENTE
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