MANILA, Philippines – Senator Antonio Trillanes IV believes that President Rodrigo Duterte is “beyond redemption.”
On Thursday, Trillanes scoffed at efforts to forge peace between Duterte and the Catholic Church.
“Di ba ilang beses na nilang sinubukan? Talagang satanista itong si Duterte, wala nang magagawa dun. Nakita nyo naman pati si Jesus, ininsulto na e,” he said at the Kapihan sa Senado
(They tried several times already. Duterte is really a Satanist. There’s nothing you can do about it. He even insulted Jesus.)
“Hindi na yan, wala na yan. Beyond, redemption na yan. Beyond salvation na yan. Kumbaga sinusunog na yung kaluluwa nyan ngayon.”
(He is beyond redemption. Beyond salvation. It’s as if his soul is now burning)
Trillanes nevertheless wished Senate President Vicente Sotto luck after the latter offered to mediate between the President and the Church.
READ: Sotto offers to mediate between Duterte and Church
“Well, good luck to Senate President Sotto, pero malabo na yan kasi nakita nyo may pinaghuhugutan si Duterte,” he said.
(Good luck to Senator Sotto, but I don’t think it will prosper, you can see where Duterte is coming from)
The senator cited Duterte’s repeated claim that he was molested by a priest when he was young.
READ: Duterte: I stopped being a Catholic after being molested
But Trillanes expressed doubts on the veracity of the story, saying that no one would dare hurt the son of a governor then.
Even if the story was true, Trillanes wondered why Duterte would attack the Church.
“Kung minolestya ka ng pari, bakit si Jesus Christ mismo ang mumurahin mo?” the senator asked.
(If you were molested by a priest, why would you swear at Jesus Christ?)/gsg