Palace calls on Catholic leaders to apologize for abuse by priests

Malacañang on Monday called on the Catholic leadership in the Philippines to ask for forgiveness for abuse committed by priests and ensure reparation to victims.

Presidential spokesman Secretary Harry Roque made the call after President Rodrigo Duterte in a speech last week questioned the wisdom of God and the creation, even referring to Him as stupid.

"Para maiwasan na po ang ganitong katinding paghihinakit sa Simbahang Katolika, siguro po panahon na buksan ng Simbahang Katolika ang mga naging biktima ng pangmomolestiya, tanggapin ang reyalidad, aminin, humingi ng patawad dun sa mga naging biktima dahil ang Presidente lang po, siguro po nagiging krusada na ito ni Presidente, nagkataon 'yung isang biktima naging Presidente," Roque said at a news conference in Cagayan de Oro City.

"Sana po itong problemang ito mabigyan ng solusyon, magkaroon ng reparation, magkaroon ng pag-amin at pagpapatawad," he added.

Duterte himself alleged that he was abused by a priest when he studied in a Catholic school when he was still a child.

Duterte has been criticized by various quarters, including a political ally, for calling God "stupid" and finding fault in the creation story in the Bible.

Roque said Duterte was entitled to his own personal belief.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, for his part, said the President was "simply posing an honest question as regards the logic or rationale behind the theory of creation."

"What the President does not subscribe to is blind adherence to prescribed dogma being preached by oftentimes hypocritical clergymen," Panelo said.

Roque also downplayed the statement of Senator Panfilo Lacson who said that he is hoping God will forgive Duterte and "make him atone for all his sins."

"The right to believe is personal. We appreciate the views of Senator Lacson. Despite what he has said recently, history will show that he will remain a very strong ally of the President. Halos pareho po ang pulitika nila ng Presidente," Roque said.

Duterte had earlier said he respected the Catholic Church even as he has developed the habit of bringing up supposed misdeeds of clergymen in response to the church's criticism of the rising death toll in the administration's war on drugs and killings of priests. —NB, GMA News