VOL. 9 ISSUE 62 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016
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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society
P 15.00 • 20 PAGES PARDON FOR GMA. Incoming President Rodrigo R. Duterte is willing to pardon former Pres. Arroyo and allow the burial of former Pres. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani to unite this divided country. Duterte made the statements during a press briefing on Monday evening. Lean Daval Jr.
Archdiocese: We respect Rody’s views “...we have always maintained a peaceful relationship,”Msgr. Paul A. Cuison
By CHENEEN R. CAPON
T
crc@edgedavao.net
HE doors of the Archdiocese of Davao will remain open to presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte, even after he branded the Catholic Church the “most hypocritical institution” during a Sunday press conference. “Even during the pre-election period, we have always maintained a peaceful relationship with him and our doors are always open to him,” Msgr. Paul A. Cuison, spokesperson of the archdiocese, said in a statement last Monday evening. ”The Archdiocese of Davao respects and listens with hu-
mility to the views and statements of our incoming President Rodigo R. Duterte about the church, including those that may be difficult to accept and things that be contrary to our teachings,” Cuison added. “We are with the people of Davao in acknowledging all the good things that he has done especially to the poor and the marginalized. We join him in prayer asking for divine wisdom and enlightenment as he begins his journey as the new leader of this land,” he said. The septuagenarian president-elect, who hailed from Davao City, accused the
Church of hypocrisy. Duterte, who had a landslide win with of 6.2 million votes lead over administrative candidate Mar Roxas in the presidential election last May 9, lambasted bishops who condemned him during the campaign period. The President Mayor said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued pastoral letter days before the election to discourage electorates from voting for him. He said many bishops were engaged in corruption during the Arroyo administration like allegedly asking
money from the government for the purchase of cars. “You sons of whores, aren’t you ashamed? You ask so many favors, even from me,” he said, referring to Catholic bishops. Duterte also challenged the bishops to a debate to expose the alleged sins of the Church, before he takes his oath on the Malacañang on June 30. The long-time mayor of Davao City, who caused outrage when he cursed the Pope and made rape jokes, said separation of the Church and the State will be observed once he assumed his post.
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