「日刊まにら新聞」ウェブ

President Rodrigo Duterte warned on Monday that his war on illegal drugs would not spare anyone, even the prelates.

Duterte issued the warning as he wondered why Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David allegedly kept on roaming around at night time.

"David! I'm doubting why you are always roaming around at night. I wonder, s** of a b****, you're into drugs," he said in a speech Monday uring the groundbreaking of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project.

This was not the first time that Duterte attacked the bishop, who has been critical of him.

Last week, Duterte had accused David of stealing church donations for personal use.

David, who shrugged off Duterte's allegations of him stealing from the church, has said, "people who are sick sometimes do not know what they are talking about, so we should just bear with them."

He had also urged the people to pray for Duterte as the country "is being led by a very sick man.”

Duterte said the government would also go after the prelates who are into illegal drugs.

"Even if you're a bishop for as long as you entered there (illegal drugs), you destroy the Filipino, we'll disagree on that," he said.

"Demonic? You are the ones who are demonic," Duterte added.

He accused that some of the bishops have paramours.

Duterte also slammed the Catholic Church for collecting money from the people, such as during baptism, wedding and even funeral, especially from the poor people.

He also clarified that he did not say he has no God.

"It is not true that I said I do not believe in God. I was answering to an incessant attack that I was demonic. Because of the killings...I said, 'I do not believe in your stupid God.' I have my own god, in my estimation. It's not collecting money," he said.

The Catholic church has been criticizing the government for the alleged extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, whose number already reached to over 4,000 people since Duterte assumed office in 2016. Celerina Monte/DMS