Duterte urged to ‘stop making noises, repent from sins’

Fr. Robert Reyes

Activist priest Fr. Robert Reyes has a piece of advice for President Duterte: Stop making noises and repent from your sins.

Reyes gave this advice to the President before visiting his close friend Sen. Leila de Lima at the Philippine National Police’s Custodial Center on Wednesday.

Reyes is currently holding a mass to mark Ash Wednesday, the start of 40-day Lenten season, inside De Lima’s cell where the senator has stayed since her arrest for illegal drug charges.

De Lima, former chief of the Department of Justice and Commission on Human Rights, is President Duterte’s staunchest critic, slamming Duterte for endorsing drug killings in the country.

Asked to give a message to the President, Reyes said: “Napakahalaga na sa panahon na tayo muna ay hindi mag-ingay at pumasok muna tayo sa ating kalooban at kung anong kailangang linisin, linisin natin dahil lahat po tayo makasalanan, no exception, mula sa pinakamataas hanggang sa pinakamaliit at lahat tayo ay babalik sa alabok at kapag hindi po natin nakita mga kasalanan natin at hindi tayo humingi ng tawad ay hindi po tayo matutulungan na umusad.”

Reyes accompanied De Lima from the time she was holed up in the Senate until she surrendered to the police and was brought to Camp Crame last Friday.

Aside from the priest, De Lima’s staff and family members visited and joined them for the mass. ASU