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‘HOWEVER HOLY YOU ARE’

Expats living in the PHL have no right to criticize me – Duterte


President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said all Filipinos had the right to criticize his performance, but not foreigners.

"And if I fall short of their expectations, and they begin to be disappointed, discontent, or whatever, they have every right. For I may have failed them in my promises. Kaya okay sa akin 'yan," Duterte said during a speech in Davao City.

He added, "But certainly, not the foreigners."

"However holy you are, I will not allow you to do it in my country for after all, we are not supposed to do it in your country,"  he further said.

Without naming anybody in particular, Duterte reiterated his challenge to members of the Catholic Church to criticize him as long as they do not invoke God.

"And the priests and the Church and everybody connected with a sect or religion or whatever. When you criticize me, criticize me with all the heart's content. Do it. I'm even asking you to do it. Para malaman ko na di kayo agrabyado or agrabyado kayo sa performance ko," Duterte said.

The president then pointed out that the government was secular in character, and could not favor any religion.

"Do it. Pero when you are a religious, you have to be something of a neutral dito sa faith mo pati government. Because it is really the concept of a republican system that there is a separation of Church and state," he said.

"So when you criticize me, do not use the platform of God. That God will send you to hell, that God will never forgive you, hell is waiting for you. Do not do it. Do not take God, God's name in vain because pag-resbak ko, makasali ko na 'yung Panginoong Diyos," he warned. — Margaret Claire Layug/DVM, GMA News

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