President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, June 25, explained his remark about God which sparked backlash over the weekend.
In his speech in Cagayan de Oro, Duterte said he has freedom to have his own religious beliefs. “Di ba sinabi ko your God is not my God because your God is stupid. Mine has a lot of common sense,” said Duterte.
“Why do you have to talk about religion? If I choose not believe in any God… it is the freedom to choose.”
Duterte said that he believes in a universal being who is “more supreme than the rest of the gods of men.”
“My God is perfect and has a perfect common sense. Ako, I believe in a universal being. There is somebody there more supreme than the rest of the gods of men… Iyan ang sinasabi ko kaya hindi ko matanggap na istoryahan mo lang ako ng basura tapos para naman akong walang utak,” Duterte said.
On his speech last Friday, Duterte criticized the story of creation in the Bible, and even God during his speech at the opening of the 2018 National ICT Summit in Davao City.
He questioned the logic behind the story in the Bible calling God “stupid” for creating something perfect just to have it ruined by bringing sins into the world.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque defended Duterte and said that the president is still entitled to his own spiritual beliefs, like any other Filipino citizen.
“Ayan po ay personal na paninindigan ng Pangulo,” Roque said in morning show Unang Hirit.
“Tingin ko ang ating Pangulo ay may personal na ispiritwalidad, pero nasa kanya na ‘yan at di na kinakailangan bigyan ng interpretasyon,” Roque added.
