Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON
Update
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte was merely defending himself when he launched tirades against members of the clergy who “uses the pulpit to attack” him, Malacañang said Monday.
“‘Di ba ang sabi niya ‘you are using the pulpit to attack me, hindi pwede ‘yung ginagawa niyo. So I’ll be using my own office para sagutin ko kayo’,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.
“He’s only defending himself from attacks. It’s self-defense,” he added.
Duterte had frequently drawn criticism for his controversial statements against the Catholic Church, the dominant religion in the Philippines.
The President’s chilling remarks, according to Malacañang, are in response to the Catholic church’s opposition to his administration’s ongoing war on drugs, which has left thousands dead.
However, despite his unrelenting insults against the Catholic Church, Panelo said Duterte remains open to a dialogue with the clergy. /je
READ: Palace: Duterte still open to dialogue with Church leaders