Duterte on ‘stupid God’ remark: I will not apologize 

Updated (9:30 p.m.)

President Rodrigo Duterte will not apologize for calling God “stupid” and for his scathing remarks against the Catholic Church.

“No, I will not do that definitely. Not in the million years,” Duterte told reporters in Panglao, Bohol on Thursday.

In a June 22 speech, Duterte, who is an open critic of the Catholic Church, ranted about God and called him stupid for the concept of “original sin.”

“You know, God is personal. It is not formed by textbooks. You nurture God as your faith based on the values that you get from life, early on from your parents,” he said. “That is how you conceived God to be.”

READ: Duterte on God, Catholics and Adam’s apple

Keeping his silence

Before delivering his speech, Duterte told local officials that he would keep his silence as the government moves to mend ties with the Catholic Church and other religious groups after his scathing remarks that drew flak from the faithful.

Then he read an instruction from his speech saying, “Mr. President, we are live on TV and on Facebook. Huwag kang magmura. Huwag kang maghanap ng away sa mga pari (Don’t speak bad words. Don’t pick a fight with priests).”

The President then quoted the Bible.

“You know if there is a page in the Bible which I read almost everyday, it’s the Ecclesiastes 3: “For every season there is always a time under the sun. There’s a time to be calm, there’s a time to be silent, there’s a time to be poignant, a time to be subdued, and a time to be vicious.” Ganun Ganun talaga ang buhay (That’s life),” he said.

“There would be a time to speak and I will [speak] maybe in the coming days. And for now, I will just keep my silence for I want to see how the nation reacts,” he added.

During the ambush interview, he said he would remain silent “particularly in my rift against the Catholic Church.” /ee