President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he would shut up from attacking the Church for now as he has only "shaken the tree."

In a speech in Bohol before a gathering of vice mayors nationwide, Duterte, quoting a passage of the Bible, said there is always time for everything.

"There will be a time to speak and I will, maybe in the coming days and for now I will just keep my silence for I want to see how the nation reacts. It's like I'm shaking the tree. If you’d notice me every now and then either national or local I'm really shaking the tree," he said.

"I shut up...I just shook the tree," he added.

Duterte recently described God as "stupid" as he even raised doubt on God's creation, particularly about Adam and Eve and the original sin.

This drew criticisms from various sectors, including the Church.

A church leader even asked Duterte to apologize for his attack on the teachings of the Church.

But Duterte, in an interview in Bohol, said he would not apologize.

"No, I will not do that definitely, not in the million years," he said, adding the faith in God is personal. Celerina Monte/DMS