Don’t be onion-skinned, Palace tells Catholic Church

The Catholic Church should stop being onion-skinned, Malacañang said on Wednesday, following the scathing remarks of President Rodrigo Duterte against the church.

“So ang sabi ko nga, ‘wag naman balat sibuyas [ang simbahang Katolika] at ‘di naman pupuwede na simbahang Katolika lang ang magbabato ng kritisismo sa ating Presidente at kapag ang Presidente ay nagbato ng kritisismo, ay parang hindi nila matanggap,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a radio dzMM interview.

Duterte, who is an open critic of the Catholic Church, earned the ire of religious groups and some lawmakers after he ranted about a “stupid God” and questioned the creation story.

The President has also publicly criticized the Church and priests for their alleged illicit affairs, and for being critical to his policies.

“Pero sa nakalipas na dalawang taon, napakarami ring mga maaanghang na mensahe ng simbahan laban sa ating presidente,” Roque said.

The Palace official said the Catholic Church has been critical to Duterte because the candidate they supported during the May 2016 elections did not win.

But Roque did not identify the candidate.

“Ang katototohanan po kasi sa mula’t-mula ayaw ng simbahang Katolika kay Presidente dahil meron silang pinanigang kandidato, at ‘di nila matanggap na ‘di nanalo ‘yung kandidato nila kaya ‘di siya tinantanan, at ngayong nanalo siya parang ang hirap tanggapin,” he said.

The President has ordered the creation of a three-man team to have a dialogue with the Catholic Church and other religious groups following the backlash of his “stupid God” remark. /kga