A man can have many wives and avoid any legal trouble just as long as he claims to be an atheist.
This was President Duterte’s advice to men who want to get away with having more than one wife.
“Huwag mong sabihin that you are a Catholic or you are a Protestant. All you have to say is that I am an atheist’ because the Christian, Judeo-Christian is one wife,” Duterte said during the inauguration of the Metro Manila Development Authority crisis monitoring and management center in Makati City last Tuesday.
“But if you are an atheist, so? You can have as much as you want as long as you’re able to…The thing there is that you’re able to support the children,” he said.
The President admitted that his suggestion was a “chauvinist” comment but insisted that womanizing should be a “non-issue” for non-Catholics.
“Why do you have to bother about how many wives? It’s a chauvinist statement but really there are so many women and you’re so short a time in this world,” Duterte said in jest.
The President made the fresh remarks in defense of his close ally House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez who has been under fire for admitting having an extramarital affair.
He said Alvarez can have many girlfriends since he is “not a Catholic” who must abide by rules on marital fidelity.
Alvarez, who recently admitted his romance with another woman, has reportedly been estranged from his wife Emelita Apostol.
“Kaya maski magsabi ‘yang Bebot na ‘yan, marunong ‘yan. Sabi niya, lima, apat na. Walang tayong magawa. He never converted to Christianity so he is not bound by the rules of the number of women that you can have,” Duterte said.
Duterte also scoffed at disbarment threat against Alvarez over his illicit affair.
“Now, he is facing a disbarment. This is a world of hypocrisy. Sino bang walang babae dito?” he said. “That should be a non-issue actually,” he added. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)