Malacañang on Tuesday confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte will meet next week with Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, after drawing a firestorm of criticism for calling God “stupid.”
The meeting is scheduled on July 9, at the Palace, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing Tuesday.
He said the meeting was “not really unusual” because the President and the archbishop have had open communication.
Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go had earlier told reporters about the upcoming meeting and said the archbishop often contacted him if he had concerns.
Earlier, the Palace formed a four-man group to meet with religious leaders to improve relations strained by the President’s tirades against the Catholic Church.
In a rambling speech in Maasin, Leyte, the President lashed out at those who criticized him for his attacks on God, saying people should believe in the new religion, the Iglesia of Duterte.
“Why do you get mad if I hit your god? God is what you conceive him to be. We all have different gods,” Duterte said.
Duterte denied allegations that his administration had anything to do with the killing of three priests in a span of six months and said one of the victims was a womanizer.
“Based on our investigation, he had women, lots of women. On the phone, there were messages: ‘Are you naked now?’ Dirty talk,” the President said, then made moaning sounds to simulate sex to the laughter of the crowd.
Roque said both sides needed to act to stop the word war.
“If there is going to be a cessation of hostile language, I think it has to be from both institutions,” Roque said.
He added that it was the clergymen who were attacking the President.
Both Duterte and Valles are natives of Davao with the latter serving as its archbishop prior to his election as CBCP president in July 2017.
Roque is a member of the four-man team tasked by Duterte to hold talks with religious leaders following the President’s negative remarks against the Catholic Church.
Other members of the presidential panel are Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella and Edsa People Power Commission Commissioner Pastor “Boy” Saycon.
Two lawmakers on Tuesday called for a ceasefire between the President and the Catholic Church and welcomed the upcoming meeting.
“That is a welcome development. Both sides should sit down and discuss issues of cooperation for development,” Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries, said.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin, an opposition lawmaker, said the Palace has to show sincerity.
“A ceasefire needs sincerity and a principled agreement on basic moral grounds from which the Palace has to show first. The church has consistently followed the path to peace and non-violence. But it is harder to make the President shut his mouth than asking the bishops [to do the same],” Villarin said.