Tracking
Archives
(Updated 2 p.m.) Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Socrates Villegas took to Facebook on Tuesday to say he is grieved over the remarks of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte on Monday regarding Pope Francis' Manila visit.
In a speech on national television after his proclamation as presidential candidate of PDP-Laban, Davao City Mayor Duterte said he was trapped in traffic in Manila for five hours last January. When he was told the roads were closed due to the Pope's visit, he said he felt like calling the pontiff and saying, "Pope, p— ina ka, umuwi ka na. 'Wag ka nang bumisita dito."
"Is this the leadership by example that Mayor Duterte excites in us? Is this the leadership by example that makes a public official deserving of the title 'Honorable'? I grieve for my country....!" Villegas wrote.
Villegas also addressed Duterte's penchant for expletives and the audience's reaction: "Vulgarity is corruption. When we find vulgarity funny, we have really become beastly and barbaric as a people. When a revered and loved and admired man like Pope Francis is cursed by a political candidate and the audience laugh, I can only bow my head and grieve in great shame. My countrymen has gone to the dregs."
Also on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda criticized Duterte anew for cursing the Pope in his speech.
In a text message, Lacierda said that while it was Duterte’s right to criticize the government over the traffic in Metro Manila, the issue was about a public official’s “respect and decency” for Pope Francis.
“If he [Duterte] wants to hit government, that is his right. Incidentally, we recognize traffic as a problem and that is why we have solutions like the installation of HPG (Highway Patrol Group) and the SLEX NLEX connector road,” he said.
“It's about respect and decency. Incidentally, the Pope was our revered guest, well loved and well respected by millions of Catholics. People waited in line to catch a rare glimpse of Pope Francis and for all of us who saw the Pope, it was a rewarding experience,” he added.
