Duterte: ‘Sorry God’

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night made a qualified apology to his “all-forgiving God” following criticism over his attacks against God and teachings of Christianity.

During a dinner meeting with Jesus Is Lord founder Brother Eddie Villanueva at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Duterte said God would be happy to listen to his apology.

“If it’s the same God, I’m sorry, that’s how it is. Sorry God. I said sorry God. If God is taken in a generic term by everybody listening then that should be good," the President said in the video released by Malacañang on Wednesday.

“I owe it to all pero I only apologize to God, nobody else. If I wronged God then he would be happy to listen to my apology. Why? Because my God is all forgiving. Why? Because he does not remember past hurt. Why? Because God created me to be good and not to do bad,” he added.

Prior to his apology, Duterte lashed out at critics from the religious community who allegedly used God’s name in their attacks against his administration.

“I’m sure that is not what God wants,” he said.

Without mentioning her name, Duterte advised Australian nun Patricia Fox to return to her home country.

“As a religious, she was agitating also everybody there, the strikers. It was a volatile situation. And I said my God is good, he does not thrive on lies and they never egg people to go to trouble,” he said.

“You are just a foreigner with the privilege [to stay in the country]. You better go home.”

Apart from Duterte and Villanueva, also present in the meeting that lasted two and a half hours were Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, and lawyer Angelino Villanueva.

Panelo said he arranged the meeting which came weeks after Villanueva urged Duterte to apologize publicly to God.

“Brother Eddie expressed on the explanation of President Duterte and said that he and other Christian groups misunderstood him,” Panelo said in a statement.

“He asked permission [from] President Duterte to pray with him and the former acceded. While Brother Eddie was saying his prayers the President closed his eyes, clasped his hands and bowed his head,” he said.

Panelo added Villanueva “seemed elated on the outcome” of his dialogue with Duterte.

Hours before the dinner, Duterte reiterated to reporters that covered his event in Clark, Pampanga that he would not say sorry for his remarks on a “stupid God” and his criticism of the creation story in the Bible and the concept of original sin.

He even repeated his vow to resign if anyone could prove the existence of God with a selfie and expressed doubts on the concept of heaven and hell.

Duterte also said he considers the millions of Filipinos who voted for him in the 2016 election as his God. — RSJ, GMA News