Manila bishop says Duterte should just step down

Well here’s a brave man who dares to say on record what others would only lamely put on their Facebook walls.

Manila auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo, 61, wants to know why President Rodrigo Duterte shouldn’t step down since instead of asking for a six-month extension to solve the problem of drugs and crime in the Philippines.

“In the campaign, he categorically said that the drug problem would be solved in six months or he would step down. But of course he is not a man of one word. His words cannot be trusted and he gives a lot of excuses,” Pabillo told The Philippine Star.

Adding that Duterte’s bloody approach to the drug war has been ineffective, Pabillo said that the government should focus on rehabilitation instead.

“It should be rehabilitation and implement a stronger anti-poverty campaign. He should also root out corruption in the police and the government. Where are the generals and the mayors who have been punished? Are there any?”

Bishop Pabillo said that the president should also focus on fighting corruption within the government and implementing better anti-poverty measures.

Over the weekend, Duterte appealed for understanding and for more time in fighting crime and eradicating controlled substances.