DR. QUIRINO SUGON JR, SJ: A parody petition vs Mayor Duterte for meddling with Religion: A reply to Pablo Tecson

By Dr. Quirino Sugon Jr. SJ
MONK'S HOBBIT
Saturday, May 28, 2016

Pablo Tecson wrote a petition in Change.org asking for the resignation of Bishop Villegas and other bishops for interfering in Philippine politics. But the opposite is also true: Duterte is interfering in the practice of the Catholic religion through his virulent remarks against the pope, the bishops, the priests, and the Catholic faithful. To highlight the absurdity of Pablo Tecson's petition, we shall draft a parody petition vs President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte, using arguments similar to those proposed by Pablo Tecson:

PARODY PETITION VS PRESIDENT-ELECT RODRIGO DUTERTE

A. Introduction

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is the President-Elect of the Republic of the Philippines. His actions do not speak for all the Filipino citizens in the country. The Catholic Church has been a victim of the dirty mouth of Mayor Duterte who laces his sentences with p*tang ina mo (son of a whore) in his criticism of the Church.

The words of Mayor Duterte have created a division among the Catholic faithful: those who are obedient to the moral authority of the Catholic bishops (e.g. Bishop Socrates Villegas and Bishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz) vs. those Catholics who voted Mayor Duterte to the presidency. Why does Mayor Duterte keep on harping on the Catholic religion in the country when we have a separation of church and state? We all know the words of Mayor Duterte:

• “From the hotel to the airport, alam mo inabot kami ng…dito lang…niyaya ako…limang oras. Sabi ko bakit? Sabi pinasarado daw,” the politiko said. He then asked, “Eh sino darating?” “Si Pope (Francis),” answered his companion.“Gusto kong tawagan, ‘Pope putangina ka umuwi ka na. Wag ka nang magbisita dito,'” Duterte said.

• "The most hypocritical institution is the Catholic Church."

• "For the record, I believe in God, but I do not believe in religions."

• “I will destroy the Church and the present status of so many priests and what they are doing,” he said. “You priests, bishops, you condemn me and suggest I withdraw, but then I will start to open my mouth. There are so many secrets that we kept as children. Do not force (me to speak) because this religion is not so sacred.”

• “Ang hindi kasi nakuha ng Simabahan, napaka-bobo naman kasi itong Katoliko. Tapos ngayon, nagsabi pa, hindi daw sila nagkampanya. Eh ‘yung tatlong bishop na nagsalita against me?”

• Do not f*** with me, Cruz! Iparinig mo sa kanya 'yan!”.

• “Di na ako miyembro ng Katoliko....May bago ako, lipat na lang kayo dito sa Iglesia ni Duterte,"

We, the Filipino people, are calling for action by Congress to correct the behavior of Mayor Duterte once he steps into power as President of the Philippines and impose his anti-life laws, such as death penalty, divorce, and population control. Two-thirds of Congress can override the Presidential veto. And if President Duterte decides to impose martial law to crack down on Catholics and other Filipinos who dissent against his policies, Congress should stop his plans and get him impeached.

We pray that this petition will reach the House of Representatives and the Senate and we pray that with the grace of God, this petition will become an eye opener to all religious people in the country to show President-elect Duterte's limitations. Leave religion to Catholic bishops, Protestant Pasters, and INC ministers, and let the people make moral decisions guided by their religious leaders, even if these decisions touch on politics, for even the Iglesia Ni Cristo endorsed the candidacy of Mayor Duterte as President. If Mayor Duterte allows one religious group to endorse him, he must also allow another religious group to criticize him. This is democracy.

B. Petition

In summary, this petition seeks the following:

1. The support of 2/3 of Congress to stop President Duterte from making anti-life laws detested by the Catholic Church, such as death penalty, divorce, and population control
2. The impeachment of President Duterte in case he tries to establish Martial Law to suppress Catholic dissent against his administration.

MY LOYALTY TO A LEADER ENDS WHERE MY LOYALTY TO MY FAITH IN GOD AND OBEDIENCE TO HIS CHURCH AUTHORITIES BEGINS

When told about Quiboloy's hurt feelings when Duterte seems to ease out the pastor during the selection of his Cabinet members, Duterte blurterd: "I am sorry. My loyalty to my friend ends where my loyalty to my country begins." (Read HERE)

 

As a Catholic, I too will say "I AM SORRY MR DUTERTE. MY LOYALTY TO MY PRESIDENT ENDS WHERE MY LOYALTY TO MY FAITH IN GOD AND HIS CHURCH BEGINS."

Revealing his deep-seated grudges against the Catholic Church during his interview with ABS-CBN News Sunday, Mr. Duterte lambasted the Catholic Church as the "MOST HYPOCRITICAL INSTITUTION" after enumerating what he says the sins of the Catholic Church. I could only shook my head in disbelief.  What  a disgrace. And what would Catholic priests and bishops from the Visayas and Mindanao who defended his unbecoming behavior would say in response?  And what would CFD's (Catholic Faith Defenders) response to his venomous attack against the Church as an institution and her ordained priests and bishops?  I can only surmise.  Is this the kind of 'CHANGE' we Catholic Filipinos are expecting from him? Did we vote for him so as to attack us the next day?

Here are his rantings:

• He belittle the power of the Catholic Bishops as he considers his win as a clear referendum between him and the Catholic Church. 
• He boasts that although the bishops issued a Pastoral Letter "not to vote" for him (but the Bishops didn't name names), still he won among Catholics.
• He assumes his authority over Catholics with their bishops "iilan lang kayo!"
• He was "molested" by a Catholic priest according to him of which he laments because the priest already died 20 years ago and this is what he wants to start a fight against the Catholic priests and bishops.
• He wants to lecture Catholic bishops and priests of the sins of the Catholic Church since "institution of papacy" began.
• He dares he can drop names of bishops and priests who have fathered illegitimate children and that this is the "explosion" in the Catholic as a church.
• He wants a debate with any of the Catholic Bishops!
• Catholic bishops and priests are humans (still that's what we Catholics thought of our bishops and priests) prone to sin. And that this sin of clandestine priests will ultimately cause them "all fall down".
• The Catholic Church is just a "show" (pageantry).
• He curses Catholic bishops and priests living in "luxurious lifestyles" allegedly coming from politicians.
• Catholic bishops and priests who are soliciting donations from him, now barking at him.
• He believes in God but not in religion.
• He rejects Catholic rituals!
• He doesn't believe someone (like sinful human Catholic priests) could take away sins.  He said, priests / bishops aren't Gods (and we Catholic also believed that but they're given the authority to 'bind and loose')

As a Catholic 'faith defender', I cannot be silent on this matter. it's time to role up our sleeves once again and let's go back to prayer, fasting, sacrifice and action! RISE UP CATHOLICS!

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News
Posted at May 22 2016 01:20 PM

Duterte calls Catholic Church 'most hypocritical institution'

Warning: Video contains offensive language.

(2nd UPDATE) OLD GRUDGES. Presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday dubbed the Catholic Church as the "most hypocritical institution" as he lambasted its bishops for supposedly attempting to erode public support for him before the May 9 elections.

Duterte told reporters in Davao City that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) released a pastoral letter a few days before the elections in a bid to dissuade the electorate from voting for him.

Despite this, Duterte said he still won the presidential elections, which he described as a "public referendum" between him and the bishops. The long-time mayor of Davao City has a 6.2 million lead over administration candidate, Mar Roxas, going into the official canvassing of the results by Congress this week. Three of his four rivals have conceded.

"They campaigned against me, everybody was saying 'Do not vote for Duterte.' Fine. I said, let this election be a referendum between me and the Catholic Church... Sabi ko, this will be a referendum kung sinong tama sa atin. Look, were you able to stop me? Iilan lang kayong mga obispo diyan," he said.

In an apparent reference to Duterte, the CBCP on May 1 urged the public to reject a "morally reprehensible" candidate who has shown "scant regard" for the rights of others and the teachings of the Church.