Santa Banana, despite the outrage over President Duterte’s statement about God being stupid with regard to the creation story, he seems to be on a roll. His most recent stunt was calling those present in the Last Supper idiots.
Speaking in Cagayan de Oro on Monday, he even mentioned Santo Rodrigo. His audience cheered.
I don’t know if Filipinos (more than 90 percent Christian and more than 80 percent Catholic) believe the President is serious when he talks. He has crossed the line, certainly. Imagine if he says the same thing about the God of the Muslims.
Sadly, we have been cowed into silence. Have we become the three monkeys who see, hear and say nothing? What a tragedy!
When my family and I went to Church last Sunday, it was packed as usual. The people’s faith has remained, it seems. So why are there no strong objections to the President’s words?
My faith remains as strong as ever. Perhaps God is testing our faith in all this.
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The President’s minions, Harry Roque and Salvador Panelo, defended the President but they just made me laugh.
Roque, for instance, said the President was just exercising his freedom of religion and expression. The problem is that the President is no ordinary citizen. He is a leader who should respect all religions.
In my almost 70 years as a journalist, I can say that Mr. Duterte is the only president who has come out openly against the Church. Is this the kind of change he promised us?
Other presidents have had conflict with religious leaders mostly because of the Church’s interference on the affairs of the state. But none of them ranted against the church and called God stupid.
Freedom of expression is not absolute. His immunity does not give him the license to insult the Catholic faith.
Roque also said the president was just expressing anger about a Jesuit priest molesting him. But that is not an excuse when you are president of a nation.
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Some have described that these are brutal times for the youth of the land. They are at this impressionable age and anything they hear or see can affect how they view things. Their parents also have a big role in imparting values to them.
I believe that one day Filipinos will make their voices heard—just look at the People Power Revolution. I am not advocating another revolution. I am just saying, one day we will say “Enough.”
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In an earlier column, I said that Communications Secretary Martin Andanar was harboring stupid and incompetent people in his agency. They have committed numerous gaffes!
Now Andanar is saying that he is now being targeted by saboteurs. But if there is anybody to blame, it is he.
The Presidential Communication Operations Office is excelling…in its stupidity.
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I needed to get a new postpaid Globe number recently, even though I have had a Globe account for the past 18 years. I went to the Globe shop at Rockwell to do this. To my dismay, the whole process took three hours. And I had to wait four days to get my new number activated!
If this is how Globe treats its customers of long standing, then I am not surprised that Smart is way ahead of its customers.
