Church cannot turn a deaf ear to Duterte’s tirades — bishop

A Catholic bishop said he cannot turn a deaf ear to President Rodrigo Duterte’s attacks on the Church any longer.

Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga said Catholicism is “under attack” and it’s time for the church to stand its ground.

“Enough is enough,” said Santos, who earlier described Duterte’s presidency as “disappointment and disgrace” over the spate of killings in the country.

As head of the church’s migrants ministry, the prelate is among the vocal supporters of the Duterte government’s programs for the welfare of the overseas Filipino workers.

However, he asserted that the church is in a stance where it has to defend its faith and beliefs.

“We believers, must not sit passively in one corner and let the tirades go on. We have voiced our opinions,” said Santos.

“We must now continue to take the high road and understand that a person who lashes out in anger need our love the most,” he added.

Santos was responding to Malacañang’s call for the church not to fire back despite Duterte’s non-stop tirades against them.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the church must heed Christ’s teachings against revenge and retaliation.

But Santos stressed that being a true believer “does not mean we will turn a deaf ear to the verbal abuses hurled against the Catholic church and its clergies”.