PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, March 14, made another about-face on his call to stop harassing the Catholic Church leaders, saying he does not mind the clergy getting killed because of their "foolishness."

Duterte made the remark after some priests exposed death threats they have reportedly received under the current administration.

The President said he should not be blamed for the death threats against the church leaders, stressing it was the latter who first wished for his death.

"Ngayon mag-ganti ako sa kanila. And they tried to picture me na ‘pag namatay sila, I should be blamed because of my outburst. The hell. Wala akong pakialam kung mamatay kayo ngayon lahat. Maluwang pa ang ating cemetery," he said during the national peace and order council meeting in Davao City.

(I just hit back. And they tried to picture me that if they die, I should be blamed because of my outburst. The hell. I don't care if you get killed today. The cemetery is still spacious.)

"P***** i**, wala akong pakialam kung mamatay kayo sa kag****** ninyo inyo ‘yan. You started the g****** b***** fight. Kayo ‘yung in a solemn sacrament of the mass of the Catholic Church, hiningi ninyo ang kamatayan ko sa Diyos," he added.

(Son of a b****, I don't care if you die because of your foolishness. You started the g****** b***** fight. You are in a solemn sacrament of the mass of the Catholic Church and you ask God for my death.)

More Catholic priests critical of the Duterte government have come forward to make public the death threats against them. Their revelation came after Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who was repeatedly slammed by Duterte, confirmed receiving deaths threats from unknown people.

Malacañang earlier said that the death threats against the clergy might have been "fabricated" or may have been plotted by "pranksters" or anti-Duterte "trolls."

Duterte, in his impromptu speeches, had repeatedly called on the street idlers to "rob" and "kill" the moneyed bishops.

But on February 25, the Chief Executive appealed to the public not to harm and harass the Catholic Church leaders, following the death threats being received by some prelates.

However, Duterte seemed to have a change of heart, saying his scathing tirades against the Catholic Church have nothing to do with the threatening messages sent to some bishops and priests.

"Eh sinabi ko oh kayong mga adik, ‘pag wala kayong pera kailangan niyo ng shabu, mag-hanap kayo ng tubo hampasin mo ‘yang ulo ng mga bishops na ‘yan. Oh ngayon nagalit sila. Lahat ng pari nag-rereklamo. Their lives are in danger because of my fumigations in public," he said.

(I told addicts to strike bishops' head if they need money to buy shabu. Now, church leaders were irked. The priests are complaining. Their lives are in danger because of my fumigations in public.)

"Stop scaring people about your holiness. Do not scare me about you dying and getting me blamed," Duterte added. (SunStar Philippines)