Malacañang said Thursday that President Duterte’s remark to kill bishops is just a hyperbole that the Chief Executive uses for dramatic effect.
Duterte had said that people should kill bishops because they know nothing but criticize the government.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that Duterte only meant that the Church should stop criticizing the government’s efforts and instead help the administration address the country’s problems.
“I think that’s only a hyperbole on the part of the President. We should be getting used to this President. He makes certain statements for dramatic effect. But he actually means stop criticizing and do some good for this country. Help us,” Panelo said.
Panelo said that Duterte is not threatening the Church and did not mean what he said. He explained that Duterte was just expressing his emotions like any ordinary person would when their efforts are not being appreciated.
“The President, just like any ordinary human being, is upset when the good things that he does for this country is not even appreciated by people who are supposed to support, like the Church,” he said. “The President is not threatening. What I said is, he has been criticized, and the President is saying that, instead of criticizing, or you can even criticize, but at the same time you give us constructive suggestions,” he added.
The Palace official also said that Duterte’s scalding remark against the Catholic Church cannot prompt killings against members of the priesthood as people are already used to him. “I don’t think so. Majority of Filipinos have I think been used to this President…they know that he doesn’t mean that,” Panelo said.
He added that Duterte’s statement is something that requires the Church’s reply, like how the President responds to criticism about his drug war and the supposed extrajudicial killings. (Argyll Geducos)