Duterte: ‘I believe in God, but I do not believe in religion’

It’s going to be a smackdown and our only worry is that there isn’t enough popcorn.

In exclusive interview with GMA News anchor Jessica Soho on Tue, May 17,  incoming President Rodrigo Duterte made an admission that very few Pinoy politicians would dare to make.

When asked about his stand on religion, Duterte replied, “For the record, I believe in God, but I do not believe in religion. Period. And the most hypocritical institutions in the Philippines, guess who?” (He said this in the video clip above at the 4:40 mark.)

Duterte then went on to slam the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, accusing its bishops of selectively following the supposed “Separation of Church and State.”

Addressing the bishops who supposedly affiliated themselves with politicians, Duterte stated, “Kasi nung panahon ni Gloria Arroyo…kayong karamihan nanghingi ng sasakyan, mga Montero (Because during the time of Gloria Arroyo…many of you asked for vehicles, Monteros), and you call that a separation of state?”

 

The other segment of Jessica Soho’s interview with incoming President Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

 

“Duterte was referring to an incident in 2009, when Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos requested a vehicle from former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for his birthday. It was also during the Arroyo regime when Malacañang had an office for ‘religious and ecclesiastical affairs” which was headed by a Cabinet-level functionary,” explained GMA News Online.

Duterte also brought up his experience of being sexually molested by a priest in 1956, when he was just a student. “Do not cultivate hypocrisy,” Duterte warned.



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