A senior Catholic bishop has described former President Rodrigo Duterte’s detention in The Hague as a “special grace,” urging his supporters to view it as a spiritual opportunity rather than political resistance.
Bishop Patricio Buzon of Bacolod, citing Scripture, said that Duterte, who is approaching 80, is living on “borrowed time” and that his detention could serve as a moment of reckoning.
“Prison time is a powerful time, more [powerful] than any spiritual retreat,” Buzon said in his homily during Mass at Bacolod Cathedral on Sunday, March 23. “This could be the last chance for him to return to God.”
Duterte has been taken to the International Criminal Court, where his critics hope he will face justice for alleged crimes against humanity over his deadly drug war.
His supporters, however, argue that the charges are politically motivated and have called for his return to the Philippines.
The 75-year old bishop challenged Duterte loyalists to reconsider their support in light of what is best for the former president.
“True love seeks the good of the beloved. If they truly love their Tatay Digong, they will do well to leave him in peace where he is now,” Buzon said.
“If Duterte’s loyal followers profess undying love for him, they should know that God loves him infinitely more,” he stressed. “Duterte is, after all, a child of his. God wants him to be saved for ‘God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked rather than that he would turn from his ways and live.’”
The prelate also warned that ‘blind fanaticism’ is dividing the nation, urging the public to put love of country above partisan loyalty and resist the spread of “fake news”.
“Blind fanaticism is tearing us apart as a people,” Buzon said. “It is time to put our love of country above any political loyalty lest we all perish.”
