He appears to have taken offence at Australian missionary nun Patricia Fox.

She has joined an investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Mindanao.

Duterte attacked critics who "come here under the cloak of whatever religion and start to blabber their mouths and attack us."

The president says there is separation of powers between church and state. And that prevents church people from criticising his administration.

"Do not include your god in the platform of your criticism in your attacks because, when I attack, if you include God in the issue, son of a bitch, I'll get back at that god," he said.

A day before Duterte had met Archbishop Romulo Valles. Valles is president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.

Duterte's office released a statement after that meeting. It promised a moratorium on statements about the church.

The president says he discussed toning down his rhetoric during the meeting with the archbishop.

Yet he said the agreement wouldn't prevent him from telling the truth.

Since then Duterte continued to attack God, whom the president said "never created hell because, if he created hell, he must be a stupid god."

The president says his god is the "six million Filipinos plus the others who voted for me above the margin, and those who really voted for me."

Duterte apologises to God

Later in the day the president made a qualified apology to God.

"If it's the same god, I'm sorry, that's how it is. Sorry God. I said sorry God. If God is taken as a generic term by everybody listening, then that's well and good," he said.

The president said church leaders should "never use the name of God as a front to attack government [because] that is not the proper way to do it."

The president again attacked Sister Fox, saying that she was agitating people.

This week, the bishops' conference condemned the government's anti-narcotics war. It has killed thousands of suspected drug users and dealers in the past two years.

The bishops also condemned the killings of three Catholic priests in recent months.

Source:

• UCA News
• Manila Bulletin
• UCA News

Image credit: UCA News

Their concern follows months of killings as Filipino President, Rodrigo Duterte, fights a war against drugs.

In their letter, which was read at all Masses on Sunday, the bishops recounted the passage of a House of Representatives bill that would restore the death penalty.

The death penalty was abolished in the Philippines in 2006. Duterte has advocated its restoration.

"It was Ash Wednesday when members of the lower House, on the second reading of the death penalty bill, outvoted by voice-voting the nays with their ayes.

"Ironically, they were captured on television shouting in favor of death with their foreheads marked with crosses made of ashes," the bishops said.

"Could they have forgotten what that cross meant?"

Thousands of "drug war" victims are estimated to have died so far.

"To the people who use the Bible to defend the death penalty, need we point out how many other crimes against humanity have been justified, using the same Bible?" the bishops asked.

Source

• Crux
• Image: Malay Mail Online

"I never thought there could be people like that who cannot tell the difference between right and wrong and are only driven by desire to make money," said retired Archbishop Oscar Crux of Lingayen-Dagupan.

"It's called amorality not immorality," the prelate said. He also expressed disappointment that some Filipinos seem to approve of the singer's behavior.

Another Catholic bishop in the Philippines earlier called for a boycott of Madonna's "Rebel Heart" concert in Manila, describing it as "subtle attacks of the evil one."

Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa called on Filipinos to "pray for our country that the devil will not succeed to draw anyone … to his evil ways."

Madonna has been known for performances that feature in the past pole-dancing nuns and large crosses.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines is looking at possible violations committed by the singer who danced on stage with a Philippine flag during her two-day performance.

The commission said it might recommend the banning of the artist from future performances in the country for violating a law that prohibits the wearing of the Filipino flag as costume.

Local organizers of the concert will also face penalties and one-year imprisonment if found guilty of condoning the use of the national color. Foreign organizers of the show can also face deportation for disrespecting the Philippine flag.

Source

UCAN
Reuters
Daily Mail
Image: Reuters