THERE is no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to apologize for his verbal attacks against the Catholic Church, Malacañang said Wednesday, June 27.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said God, whom he described as "God of Love," does not need any apology from Duterte.
Roque made the remark amid calls by some religious leaders for the President to issue a public apology for saying the Catholic Church's God is stupid.
Roque said God wished nothing but "healing for everyone."
"The God that I know will not demand a public apology. The God I know is God of love. And He's too big for any words that may come from the mouth of a mortal. So 'yun po ang aking paninindigan (So that's my stance)," the Palace official said during a dialogue with leaders of several religious groups on Wednesday afternoon.
"My God will not demand a public apology. My God would understand. He's a God of love. And He would wish healing for everyone," he added.
Roque is part of a three-man panel formed by Duterte to sit down with the religious leaders for a dialogue. Other members are Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella, and self-proclaimed civic leader Pastor Saycon Jr.
During the meeting Wednesday afternoon, Roque defended Duterte anew, saying that the President has the right to express his personal beliefs.
Duterte's mouthpiece also turned the tables on the Catholic Church, which he said has yet to acknowledge the alleged sexual abuses committed by some priests.
He reiterated his demand that the Catholic Church leaders apologize to the President, who claimed to have been molested by a Catholic priest, and other victims of sexual abuse.
"The President feels that he was a victim of injustice, which until now has remained unheeded," Roque said.
"And I understand him from the perspective of course of reparation that victims need number one, an acknowledgment that they have become victims, and number two, that they are entitled to an apology. So I leave it at that," he added. (VoxPop Philippines)
