Severe Criticism of Philippine President for Calling God 'Fool'

The President of the Philippines, known for cursing the Pope and insulting leaders of other countries including Barack Obama, is facing severe criticism for calling God a 'fool' in the largest Catholic country in Asia. According to the Associated Press, opposition senator Antonio Trillanes stated on Monday, July 4, that Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines, is 'a devilish man' and that this remark 'perfectly aligns with his deceitful and ruthless policies.' Even some of Duterte's allied politicians have criticized him. Arturo Bastes, a Catholic bishop, described the president as 'a madman' and urged the people of the Philippines to pray for an end to Duterte's 'blasphemous remarks and dictatorial tendencies.' He added, 'Duterte's insulting statements against God and the Gospel once again reveal that he is a strange being, a lunatic, and has a disordered mind who should not have been elected to the presidency.' Another bishop named Ruberto Santos said that the president has crossed a red line. On Friday, Duterte questioned the biblical story of the creation of man on a television program, asking why God created Adam and Eve only to let them fall into temptation that destroyed their purity. The 73-year-old Duterte, known for his controversial remarks, said in part of his speech, 'Who is this fool God? This son of a bitch is really stupid. How can the existence of God be justified?' Duterte then criticized the role of 'Adam and Eve's sin' in the perception of Christians as sinful in the eyes of God, saying, 'You had no part in this matter, yet you are all condemned to commit original sin. What kind of religion is this? I cannot accept this because it is a foolish hypothesis.' The Associated Press adds that Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former police chief, said he usually supports the president but after his insult to God 'whom I pray to every day and who gives me peace in all difficult moments, I don't even have to think about my choice.' He added, 'I hope God forgives him and makes him pay for all his sins.' Duterte's spokesperson defended his remarks, stating that the president has the right to comment on religion and referenced another public statement by Duterte in which he claimed he was sexually abused by a priest during his schooling. Duterte himself emphasized this right in another speech on Monday, saying, 'Why do you want to bind me to something foolish? God has given me my own mind.' In 2015, Rodrigo Duterte shocked Filipino Catholics by cursing the Pope over heavy traffic in Manila. He later apologized but has consistently attacked the Catholic Church and bishops who criticized his government's violent drug war. Barack Obama, who criticized this harsh policy, was also verbally attacked by Duterte, who told the then U.S. president, 'Go to hell.'