“I CAN NEVER CURSE MY POPE” – DUTERTE

By Manny Piñol

So much issue has been raised over the alleged disrespectful statement made by presidential candidate Rody Duterte against Pope Francis yesterday.

I was there during the proclamation and I heard every word that he said because I was taking notes.

While the statement about the traffic and the Pope’s visit sounded awkward, it was obvious that the use of the cuss word which is a common street lingo was not directed at Pope Francis.

It was merely an expression that comes almost naturally from Duterte’s mouth and peppers almost all of his public discourses.

Yesterday, he used it in jest to express his exasperation and disappointment over the inability of government to address Metro Manila’s traffic problem.

Duterte, in spite of his human frailties and publicly admitted weaknesses, is a devout Catholic and I believe he would never show irreverence towards the Prince of his church, the Roman Catholic church.

This morning, he issued a short statement explaining the whole issue and expressing his regrets and apologies if his use of the word in the sentence where the Pope’s name was mentioned was misunderstood.

His political opponents would surely exploit this issue to advance their political agenda.

At the end of the day, however, the whole country would still have to answer the question: Who could protect the country from the evils of crime, drugs and corruption?

Who could bring this nation together in peace and provide jobs for people in the countryside?

One flawed statement cannot override the desire of people for real “Change” in this country.

Bishop Fulton Sheen once said: “God’s greatest glory is man fully alive.”

The Filipino leader who could ensure that the next generation of Filipinos would have a better life – free from drugs, crime and corruption – would certainly be God’s instrument in achieving His greatest glory.