MANILA, Philippines — Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), on Tuesday hit Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for using a swearword in referring to Pope Francis after getting caught in a traffic jam during the Roman Pontiff's visit in the country in January.
"When a revered and loved and admired man like Pope Francis is cursed by a political candidate and the audience laugh, I can only bow my head and grieve in great shame. My countrymen has gone to the dregs," Villegas said in a statement.
In his speech after being proclaimed as the standard bearer of PDP-Laban, Duterte narrated how he got stuck in a five-hour traffic gridlock during the papal visit.
"Gusto kong tawagan, 'Pope p******, umuwi ka na," the presidential aspirant said, which earned laughter from his supporters in the audience.
READ: Catholics blast Duterte for cursing Pope Francis
Villegas noted that corruption as a "great scourge" of Philippine politics, citing that vulgarity is corruption.
"When we find vulgarity funny, we have really become beastly and barbaric as a people," the CBCP head said.
MAYOR DUTERTE?What the world desperately needs now is leadership by example. We have so many leaders in office and...
Posted by Socrates B. Villegas on Monday, November 30, 2015
The CBCP stressed that the leaders that the public should choose in able to achieve national progress must be visionary and exemplary.
"What the world desperately needs now is leadership by example. We have so many leaders in office and many more aspiring to sit in office but are they examples of good citizenship?" Villegas said.
Duterte, however, clarified in a radio interview that the profanity was not directed at Pope Francis.
"I never said p**** mo Pope. I said ‘'t****, huwag ka na pumunta dito," Duterte said.
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