Duterte: ‘I believe in God, I’m afraid of karma’

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said that only “stupid” people do not believe in God and that he is afraid of karma.

Duterte’s pronouncements came a day after he denounced priests and mocked the Catholic Church and its teachings amid the observance of the Holy Week at a speech in Cagayan.

“‘Wag kayong maniwala hindi ako—gago lang ang tao hindi maniwala ng Diyos,” the President said in a speech at the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Batangas City.

“Hayaan na ninyo ako. Ipagbilin na lang ako ninyo sa Diyos. Bahala na ang Diyos sa akin...Ako naman, I assure you, I believe in God and takot ako sa karma,” he added.

Duterte said he does not want to commit malicious acts because karma had supposedly worked against him twice.

“Kung ‘yang ginagawa ko maintindihan ng Panginoong Diyos, ah okay lang. But ako, ayaw ko ‘yung to commit a wrong, ‘yung malice. Mahirap ‘yan. I have experienced karma twice over,” he said.

Born Catholic, Duterte has repeatedly used his speeches to lash out at bishops and priests, whom he accused of womanizing, molesting children, and being corrupt. He has mocked the doctrines of the Church and claimed to have been molested by a priest when he was a young student.

He even called God “stupid" and branded the Catholic Church as the “most hypocritical institution” in the Philippines.

Duterte also said the clergy should not use the pulpit to attack him and his policies, particularly the war on drugs.

Malacañang had repeatedly said Duterte's harsh rhetoric was part of freedom of expression and that the chief executive was only criticizing certain immoral acts of some members of the Church. — BM, GMA News