President attacks Catholic Church anew during Basilan, Zamboanga visits

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte shows a printed matrix as he reveals a possible motive on the killing of a Catholic priest, Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Isabela City Gymnasium in Basilan on March 3, 2019. TOTO LOZANO / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY – President Duterte hit the Catholic Church anew in his speeches in Isabela City, Basilan as well as in this city.

In Basilan, Duterte complained against the bishops who kept on attacking him.

In Zamboanga City, Duterte said “when you attack me, do not use the pulpit because that is the extension of the church. Kung gusto mo, lumabas ka, (tell me straightforward) ayaw ko kay Duterte kasi hindi siya marunong, maraming pinatay, ako bilang Filipino na paring Katoliko, nagkoko-complain ako. But do not use (the pulpit) and say, si Duterte is demonyo, that’s religion, he will go to hell.”

Citing the case of slain priest Fr. Mark Ventura, who was killed while celebrating a mass, Duterte said leftist groups quickly attributed the case to the priest’s anti-mining stand.

But a matrix from the police investigation revealed that Ventura was killed because of his reported sexual affairs with at least nine women.

In Basilan, Duterte said Ventura was linked to at least nine women, mostly coming from prominent and influential families.

There was a long list in the investigation but nothing points to the military, the President said. Surprisingly, the list detailed about his affairs with nine women.

One was a married woman who owns three gasoline stations. The second was a widow of a police officer who “usually hitches a ride with Father.”

The third is a wife of a Vice Mayor, the fourth was separated, estranged from husband, whose communication between Ventura and this fourth woman was traced over the phone.

The fifth is a treasurer-secretary. Four other names mentioned were a trader, a daughter of a friend’s benefactor, a relative of an Army major, and an NBI agent.

Duterte arrived in Isabela City, Basilan around 6:30 p.m. His actual schedule was 2:30 p.m. for the groundbreaking ceremony of the P50 million worth of Isabela City gymnasium at Barangay Binuangan. /lzb