Catholic bishops slam latest Duterte tirade vs clergy

Catholic bishops have condemned President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest tirade against the clergy as they expressed concern about its possible effects on the young generation.

“Again, his mouth has uttered absolutely silly things. And his ‘fans’ consider his murderous words as a mere joke. Is it a joke to advise people to kill?” said Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes.

‘Speaking like a devil’

“This is a serious matter … the young generation might make him a role model in speaking improperly as though words have no moral consequences,” he added.

“To bystanders, if your bishop passes by, rob them, they have lots of money. Kill them,” the President said in a speech on Thursday during a birthday celebration in Masbate, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

Bastes said “there should be a mass movement among decent Filipinos to make him desist from speaking like a devil.”

“Let us do something to make him stop this evil,” he added.

Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos shared Bastes’ sentiment.

“It is no longer funny, and does not deserve laughs or applause from the audience, but condemnation. The advice just promotes criminality, encourages lawlessness. What kind of authority calls for killing?” he said.

“If he does it with bishops, how much more to ordinary citizens? What kind of head of state encourages killing?” Santos said.

“His presidency is a disappointment to us, and a disgrace to the country … And we totally speak, stand against it. We reject and condemn what he says,” he added.