Ipinagtanggol kahapon ng Malacañang ang naging pahayag ni Pangulong Duterte na dapat “patayin” ang mga obispo dahil wala namang “silbi” ang mga ito.

Sinabi kahapon ni Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo sa press briefing na “hyperbole” lang ang naging pahayag ni Duterte para magkaroon ng “dramatic effect” ang ipinupunto nito.

Aniya, ang tanging nais sabihin ng Pangulo ay tumigil na ang Simbahang Katoliko sa pambabatikos sa mga hakbangin ng pamahalaan upang lutasin ang mga problema sa bansa.

“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,” paliwanag ni Panelo.

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Hindi rin, aniya, pinagbantaan ni Duterte ang Simbahang Katoliko at nadala lang ang Presidente sa emosyon nito, katulad ng karaniwang mamamayan na nadidismaya kapag hindi pinapahalagahan ang mga ginagawa nito.

“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. 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,” anito.

“When the say there are so many extrajudicial killings, the President says, ‘Excuse me, it’s not state-initiated. There are killings because they resist arrest’. In the process, there are killings,” sabi pa ni Panelo.

Sinabi naman ni Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President, Atty. Sonny Matula na “uncalled for” ang naging pahayag ni Duterte.

“We are criticizing the president for his uncalled for statement in an official state function. Whatever his resentment against our bishops, the same cannot justify nor will warrant the killing of anyone including any bishop,” sabi ni Matula.

Nananalangin din aniya ang kanilang grupo upang magkaroon ng kaliwanagan ang Pangulo na hiniling din nila na magsagawa ng pagninilay-nilay “this Christmas season”.

Iginiit naman ni Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman ng Episcopal Commission on the Laity ng Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), na kung seryoso si Duterte ay may “serious problem” na ito sa pag-iisip.

“Una sa lahat tingnan natin baka nagdyo-joke na naman siya. Pero kung hindi siya nagdyo-joke, ‘yan po ay isang concern na masasabi nating may serious [problem] ang presidente, he is out of his mind,” sinabi ni Pabillo sa panayam ng Radyo Veritas.