PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday again slammed the Catholic Church officials for criticizing his war on drugs that has already claimed 3,000 lives since he took office.
He called them “annoying sons of bitches.”
Speaking before policemen at Camp Abendan in Zamboanga City, Duterte admitted being annoyed at the continuing criticism he has been getting as a result of his war on illegal drugs.
“I’m really appalled by the many groups and individuals”•including priests and bishops”•complaining about the number of persons getting killed on the operations against the drug problem,” Duterte said.
He said two policemen were being killed daily as a result of the crackdown.
“Nabubuwisit ako. Nag-iinit ang ulo ko bakit mamatay ang pulis.”
Duterte slammed Davao Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla whom he accused of having an affair with a woman despite his vow of celibacy.
“This Capalla, we’re just the same. We had mistresses. He is a bishop and I was just a mayor.”
“Mga pari, putang ina bwisit, mga pamoral moral, pano ko pigilan yan?” Duterte said referring to the drug menace.
“Magpigil ka ngayon patay ang Pilipinas.”
Capalla, who was Davao Archbishop from 1996 until his retirement in 2012, advised the President over the weekend to “listen” amid his daily expletive-laden speeches and “I will kill you” pronouncements.
Duterte was mayor of Davao for 22 years”•from 1988 to 1998, 2001 to 2010 and 2013 to 2016.
In 2001, Capalla issued a Pastoral Letter entitled “Thou Shall Not Kill” in which he called on the residents of Davao “to assist the City government and its law enforcement agencies to undertake a humane and civil campaign against criminals and lawless elements in society.“
Capalla said it was “erroneous and wrong for any government to inflict capital punishment on prisoners. Or to tolerate criminal groups like the Davao Death Squad.”
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines also condemned the alleged state-sanctioned vigilante killings committed under the Duterte administration.