President Rodrigo Duterte has served notice to the Catholic Church that his administration would introduce concrete steps to implement the reproductive health program, a move that may again put him on a collision course with religious leaders.
Mr. Duterte has been at loggerheads with Catholic bishops over his bloody anti-illegal drug campaign and his attempt to revive the death penalty.
“Every time I [visit] other countries like Indonesia and Singapore, and you can see the progress of those countries, I’m moved to tears. [I become] misty-eyed when I think of my country because we’re like an airplane which cannot takeoff,” the President told members of the Presidential Security Group on Monday.
“I really do not know. Maybe it’s sheer population Of course, I do not want a quarrel with the church. But I will be ordering a stronger measure this time for family planning,” he said.
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