PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte claimed that a priest in Davao City had died of the human immunodeficiency virus - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV-Aids).
Offices that deal with HIV and Aids in the city, however, could not verify this. Some HIV advocates said they do not have information about this.
Duterte made the claim during the distribution of certificates of land ownership award (Cloa) to agrarian beneficiaries in Kidapawan City last December 29, 2018, but said he was not allowed to announce the priest’s name.
“I’m not allowed to say his name publicly but there was -- Aids. He was only 30 years old. Pari (priest),” he said.
Duterte said he felt bad for Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle because of the many cases of physical abuse and molestation within the religious institution.
“Kaya it’s rotten. Si Tagle, I could almost understand him. Parang mapaiyak ‘yung mukha ni Tagle, kalmado. Ito marinig niya ngayon, sabihin ko dagdagan ko na lang. Reverend Tagle, may pari last week namatay dito sa Davao,” he said in his speech.
(He looks like he’s going to cry. I will just say this now. Reverend Tagle, a priest died last week in Davao.)
Duterte also recalled his and his friends’ experience with a priest during confessions in school. He alleged that he and other students were molested and that there were incidents where a priest physically abused children.
He said the Catholic Church should correct itself or he will continue to attack them.
Last December 2018, the city intensified its information and education campaign on HIV awareness as the Davao City Aids Council (DCAC) said there were 2,525 HIV reported cases and 118 reported deaths from January 1984 to July 2018.