"SHAPE up," President Rodrigo Duterte told the leaders of the Catholic Church on Thursday, December 6, as he took a swipe anew at the priests acting to be "religious" despite doing unacceptable acts.
Duterte made the statement a day after saying that it would be better to "kill" Catholic bishops.
Duterte slammed pretentious leaders of the Catholic Church, whom he repeatedly accused of stealing Catholic faithful's donations and committing other unlawful acts.
In a latest tirade peppered with expletives, the President told the church leaders to reflect first before criticizing him.
"'Yung inuman, 'yung mga gold. Karaming mura na baso diyan sa Quiapo, pa-gold gold pa kayo. Tapos tayo pa ang mag-gastos. Unang koleksyon, 'yung pangalawang [koleksyon], para 'yun sa pamilya nila, maniwala ka," he said during the Labor department's 85th founding anniversary in Pasay City.
(Their chalice is gold. There are cheap glasses in Quiapo, but they opted to use the gold ones. Then we're the ones buying for that. There is first collection, then the second collection is for their family, believe me.)
"P***** i** kayong mga gago kayo. Kung mag-tindig ka sa pulpito tapos sabihin mo ako ang demonyo, eh ano ka? Kung demonyo ako, kayo ano? Religious? Tapos... Come on, you shape up," he added.
(You're stupid, son of a b****. You're standing in the pulpit and portraying me as evil? How about you? If I'm evil, what are you? Religious? Come one, you shape up.)
On Wednesday, December 5, Duterte said bishops are better off dead since they are "useless" and "stupid."
In a press conference earlier Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo clarified that Duterte merely wanted to kill the church leaders "with kindness."
"I think the President wants to kill them with kindness," Panelo told Palace reporters in an interview, when asked to react on Duterte's "kill bishop" pronouncement.
But contrary to Panelo's clarification, Duterte sounded bitter against the Catholic Church in his latest impromptu speech.
Duterte, who believes in God but not in religion, advised the Catholic faithful to "stay with God but do not be fooled by religion."
"By the next generation, malaman nito, mabasa nila lahat ng mga document na lumalabas (they'll read the documents). If you have time, you go abroad, you buy the book, "The Popes." Plural. At 'yang (And the) Secrets of the Altar. Eto, basahin ninyo. Sigurado, bukas hindi na kayo Katoliko (Read that and tomorrow, you're no longer a Catholic)," he said.
"'Pag nabasa mo last page, hindi ka na Katoliko. Ako, I advice you, stay with God but wag kayo magpaloko sa religion (When you read the last page, you are no longer a Catholic. Me, I advice you, stay with God but do not fooled by religion)," Duterte added. (SunStar Philippines)