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Alvarez to Catholics: Look for new religion if shunned for backing death penalty


House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday urged Catholics not to be scared if they were shunned by religious leaders for supporting the Duterte administration's policies, such as the reimposition of the death penalty.

Alvarez was asked in a radio interview if he would still back President Rodrigo Duterte's push for the reimposition of death penalty when some Catholics reportedly were refused communion when they supported the Reproductive Health Law.

"Eh 'di magtiwalag! Ang importante naman dito naniniwala ka sa Panginoon eh," said Alvarez, the author of a bill providing for the death penalty in cases of heinous crimes.

"Ngayon kung ganyan ang ginagawa nila, eh di maghanap ka na ng iba mong relihiyon," Alvarez added.

At the same time, Alvarez advised the Catholic church to stay out of political governance, and focus instead on helping the needy, even as he stressed the separation of church and state.

"Gawin nila yung trabaho nila bilang nagpre-preach sila ng faith," Alvarez said.

He said the Church should let the government carry out its campaigns against society's ills, like the illegal drug problem.

"Kung wala naman silang maitutulong dito ay tumahimik na lang, huwag na silang makialam. Magconcentrate na lang sila sa kawang-gawa, maraming nangangailangan ng serbisyo nila," Alvarez said.

"Maraming nagugutom sa kalye. Bakit hindi nila pagtuunang n pansin iyon?," he added.

Alvarez also criticized Catholic schools that let their children join political demonstrations.

A House sub-committee earlier approved a substitute bill to Alvarez's House measure seeking to reimpose capital punishmenton heinous crimes. —NB, GMA News
 

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