Tacloban priest: Pray for Duterte

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines —A retired formator in the Archdiocese of Palo called on the faithful to pray for President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently receiving criticisms and attacks from various sectors.

Father Oscar Lorenzo, also the resident priest in Tacloban’s Sto. Niño Parish, in his recent homily called for prayer for Duterte, telling the faithful: “Since he is our President, we want him to succeed, we want him to do what is best for the Philippines, if not for this problem in himself.”

He likewise urged the churchgoers to pray for the members of Duterte’s Cabinet, who are technically his alter ego, for them to properly advise him on what he should do.

Lorenzo, who does not fear criticizing what he believes are wrong policies of the government, recently criticized some of Duterte’s pronouncements, including the creation of Iglesia ni Duterte, in which a man can marry even five times.

The cleric also expressed his dissension to the proclivity of Duterte towards divorce, his alleged defilement of the Holy Host , his maligning of the Holy Water, and his war on drugs that gave rise to the killing of people without due process, debasing the sanctity of life.

Very recently, Duterte threatened to kill barangay officials involved in the drug trade, and even the “narco” mayors who will not resign from their posts.

Since November last year when Duterte officially declared his all-out war on drugs, about 6,000 men and women were killed in either in drug buy-bust operations, in legitimate police operations and in summary executions by still unidentified perpetrators.

Duterte should be cautious of what he says in public to the extent of telling the people to blame God for making him what his character is, because he could not change anymore, said the priest.

Lorenzo further feared over Dr. Natividad Dayan’s declaration in the annulment of marriage case between Duterte and his former wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, stating that the president was allegedly suffering from anti-social narcissistic personality disorder.

Dayan further alleged in her findings that Duterte’s sickness was characterized by “gross indifference, insensitivity and self-centeredness,” among other unwholesome personality traits.

The media hyped this psychiatric findings as a national problem, which Lorenzo said should be cause for the Filipinos to pray for Duterte as the country’s chief executive.

Lorenzo believed that since Duterte is not God, not even a semblance of the goodness of God, he has to be guided by the wisdom from the God of  Christians, whom he adored when he was yet a Catholic.

Noting the good side of Duterte, however, Lorenzo was convinced that with the guidance and wisdom from God, he will be able to lead the country while upholding the rights and dignity of the Filipinos. (FREEMAN)