Duterte confesses: I stopped as Catholic after priests’ abuse

MANILA (PHILIPPINES)
Manila Bulletin

July 8, 2018

By Genalyn Kabiling

Under fire for his controversial statements about God, President Duterte has revealed that he stopped being a Catholic after enduring sexual abuse from a priest in high school.

The President said after the “terrible” incident in school, he created his own God who values justice and fairness.

“Something terrible happened when we were young. It’s not really that serious. But fondling while confessing, we were being fondled so when I graduated, hindi na ako Katoliko. Hindi na ako Katoliko [I was no longer a Catholic. I was no longer a Catholic] at that age. I was not even in politics then,” Duterte said during the inauguration of Malayan Colleges Mindanao in Davao City.

“But pag-graduate ko, I created my own God. ‘Yung nakikita kong values na justice [After graduation, I created my own God based on the values I have seen like justice] — what is justice, fairness — I have always said in Davao, ‘My God is my service to the people.’ Period,” he added.

The President earlier bared that the late Fr. Mark Falvey molested him and other high school students while studying at Ateneo de Davao University. The incident allegedly happened during the sacrament of penance or confession in school.

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