By Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA
MANILA — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday said he will try to mediate in the feud between President Rodrigo Duterte and the Catholic Church.
In an interview, Sotto noted that a lot of Filipinos are growing uncomfortable with the intensifying conflict between the President and church leaders.
“Subukan ko lang, wala namang mawawala (I’ll try first, since there’s nothing to lose). Wala pa kaming maliwanag na usapan pero (There’s still no definite agreement but) I am trying to get in touch with the leadership of the CBCP (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines) and find out more about their perspective,” Sotto said.
“Then at the first chance that I get to talk to the President, we’ll try to mediate if it’s possible at all. If not, at least we tried,” Sotto added.
Malacañang earlier said President Duterte’s remarks against the Catholic Church are meant to initiate “intellectual discussion” for the faithful’s enlightenment.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte’s pronouncements against the institution is his way of “shaking long-held religious tenets and beliefs that instead of molding them into being righteous individuals make them cling to religion as an opium.”
Panelo said in doing so, the President “puts to a test the validity of the religious rituals bordering (on) fanaticism as against the practice of genuine spirituality.”
