Incoming presumptive Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is losing reverence to his Catholic faith quibbling about its leaders' immorality, corruption and other wrongdoings even calling some of the bishops "sons of whore" and the institution itself as the "most hypocrite."
He denounced the church, saying he does not need a religion to show his Christian faith, and that only God can give absolution, not priests who are only human and are also sinners.
"I have these deep, abiding faith in God," he said, adding that being faithful does not follow that one should have a religion and follow somebody of what he says about all things.
'Why would I have to go to a human being to whisper my sins and ask for forgiveness? Who are you to listen to my sins and give me absolution" You are not God," he said in a live nationwide press conference.
Monsignor Oliver Mendoza, of the Archdiocese of Lingayen, said the Church will continue to speak out and to tell what is right and what is wrong.
"Because if we fail to do that, if we close our eyes, if we close our lips, we close our ears, what will be the role of the Church?" he said.
Duterte and church officials have been at odds after the former cursed Pope Francis during his visit to Manila in 2015 resulting heavy traffic in all areas delaying Duterte's trip. His words against the church became more trenchant saying at a young age he was sexually abused by a priest.
The church, for its part, criticized Duterte for openly admitting being a womanizer, and for his alleged link with a "death squad" responsible for many cases of summary executions in Davao City in his 20 years of incumbency as mayor.
At the height of the election period, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the public not to vote for a "morally reprehensible" candidate who has "scant regard" for the right of others and the teaching of the church.
Though the CBCP did not name names, Duterte took offense from it.
"Do not talk about morality, you are all human beings, you are going to fall, you are all pageantry," he said calling some of the bishops as "sons of whore" because they had "mistress."
He said in his long years as mayor of Davao City priests enjoyed favour from him which is tantamount to corruption "and now they are turning against me?.. that is hypocrisy."
He vowed that when he assumes office, he will go against the Church doctrine about family by limiting up to three children in each couple to control the country's population explosion.
