Palma doesn’t doubt President Duterte’s faith

CEBU, Philippines - "I would not declare that he is a non-believer," said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma yesterday over a recent statement that has put President Rodrigo Duterte yet again in controversy.

The president has questioned those who oppose the death penalty if their stand would be the same if God did not exist.

"So, where is God when a one-year-old baby, 18-month year-old baby, is taken from the mother's arms, brought under a jeep, and raped and killed? So where is God?" Duterte was quoted as saying.

"So where is God? My God, where are you? I believe in God but that is my perpetual question to him. Where were you when we needed you?" the president said further.

Palma said the people will have to accept that the President has its own way of expressing himself.

"Sometimes, ang iyahang language lang kay daw dili ba diplomatic… ang iba moingon nga dili refined but still, para niya, mao kini iyang nature so we just accept it for what he is," Palma said.

Palma said he personally does not doubt Duterte's faith in God.

Nevertheless, Palma said it is the responsibility of the people to make Duterte realize that there are approaches "which we do not agree in a sense or which bring us to concern."

"(But) he will know in many ways. He is a person who reads the paper, he is the person who reads the document of the CBCP, and he is a person who knows the reports of other people. He could not escape from the mindset of other cri-tics, of the members of the media, from other people as well," Palma said. (FREEMAN)