Bacani belies claims he sired a child, swears: Mamatay ang sinungaling

Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr. on Thursday fired back at his accusers who claimed that he has two wives and has fathered a child.

In an interview on GMA News TV's "News To Go," Bacani belied the accusations and said to his "lying" accusers: "Mamatay nawa ang hindi nagsasabi ng totoo."

Bacani was referring to Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella's statement on Thursday that the bishop had sired a child aside from having two wives. 

"Mahiya siya. Sinasabi ko, mahiya po kayo Secretary Abella. Ang balita ko dati po kayong ministro, sumumpa tayo pareho sa harap ng Diyos. Sumpaan natin yan at tignan natin kung sino ang papatamaan ng Diyos na mamatay. Kung sabihin natin, 'Mamatay nawa ang hindi nagsasabi ng totoo'."

In a speech last Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte accused Bacani, a Catholic bishop, of having two wives.

"P— inang Bacani na iyan, dalawa pala ang asawa. Pareho ko. Parang mayor din ang buang. Tapos kung magsalita itong mga unggoy na ito, 't— ina," Duterte said.

Duterte's remark was a reaction to an earlier statement of Bacani criticizing the intensified drive against illegal drugs and criminality for the rising number of deaths under the crackdown. 

In Friday's television interview, Bacani also told News To Go's anchor Howie Severino that Duterte's accusations are all lies.

"Sinasabi ko na yan, maliwanag na maliwanag. Wala ni-isa akong asawa. Kaya, ako po nasaktan nang sabihin niyang, 'katulad ko, siya ay may dalawang asawa.'" 

Last Thursday, the prelate dared Duterte to produce his alleged wives, and if the President could do so, Bacani will give him P10 million as a reward.

Asked to elaborate his earlier statement that the Philippine National Police is "bringer of death," he said: "Lilinawin ko Howie na ang Simbahan ay kakampi sa paglaban sa droga, kami rin concern namin yan."

"Ang ayaw namin yung pamamaraan, na masasabi nga natin 'extrajudicial killings' or summary killings ... yung pinapatay na kahit hindi nanlalaban at kahit nakikita naman sa TV yan at ikinukwento ng mga [insidente] na kakatok sa [bahay ng drug suspects] at pagbukas ng pinto kung minsan babarilin na lang. Kung minsan mag-asawa pa babarilin, eh kung minsan napagkakamalan pa ang iba." 

"Kaya ang pamamaraan ang hindi namin gusto at ayaw ng Panginoon 'yan. Yung papatayin mo yung hindi naman lumalaban sa pulis," he added. 

But he said that not all police personnel are bad guys. "Karamihan po ng mga pulis ay mabubuting tao, magagaling. Ang dami ko pong pakinabang na natanggap sa kabutihang loob ng mga pulis, kaya hindi po namin sila kalaban, yun lamang pong mga pumapatay sa hindi dapat patayin,

Asked on other scandals in the Church and issues written in the book "Altar of Secrets" that Duterte used as reference for his accusations against priests living immoral lives, Bacani said, "Sasabihin ko ito, sa totoo lang, anong kinalaman nun doon sa issue na 'wag kang papatay sa hindi naman nanlalaban? Hindi naman yun talaga relevant."

Bacani said that his accusers should not shy away from the issue by fabricating lies against those who reminded them that killing is morally wrong. —LBG, GMA News