Bishop Pablo David tells Duterte to leave his mother out of their word war

April 4, 2019 - 7:01 PM
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Pablo David Interaksyon
Caloocan City Pablo David defended himself and his mother's name on Facebook from the president's new round of insults. (The STAR/Miguel de Guzman)

Caloocan City Pablo Virgilio David defended his mother in Facebook post after President Rodrigo Duterte insulted him in the latest episode of their word war.

Duterte spewed out expletives against David, a vocal critic of the administration’s illegal drug war campaign, for allegedly “attacking” him from the pulpit.

“Alam mo kung pari ka, gusto mo akong atakehin—hoy, David makinig kang p***** i** ka—lumabas ka sa pulpit mo. Huwag mong gamitin ang relihiyon. Dito ka, diyan sa simbahan, aatakehin mo ako. ‘Pag resbak ko, tatamaan ito. Dito ka dapat,”  he said on April 2.

David then took to Facebook to defend himself and the name of his mother.

+BIENVENIDA SIONGCO DAVID (1922-2000)She is the woman the President of our country called a whore in his speech…

Posted by Pablo Virgilio David on Wednesday, April 3, 2019

“He called me a son of a whore for allegedly attacking him from the Church pulpit—which I have never ever done. The pulpit is never for that purpose. Unless, of course, he thinks that calling for an end to violence and extrajudicial killing in my diocese is tantamount to attacking him,” he said on April 3.

He also shared how his mother, Bienvenida Siongco David, sacrificed to make sure he and his twelve siblings were able to finish college.

“She did all she could, to make sure that, even after she was widowed at age of 58, she would be able to get all thirteen of us to finish college and to practice our professions decently as productive citizens of this country,” the bishop said.

David’s mother was also granted the “Gintong Ina” award during the late 80’s and passed away in December 2000.

“Our family does not expect anyone in government to give her recognition for her immense contribution in nation-building. But we do not expect anyone either, to insult her memory and call her a whore. She does not deserve it,” he said.

Last February, Duterte briefly softened his stance against the Catholic Church after Manila Archbishop Luis Cardinal Tagle informed him that David and some priests received death threats supposedly someone working for his family.

However, early in April, Duterte lashed out against David anew and said that drug addicts should assault the latter on the streets and rob him.

“Kunin mo bulsa maraming pera ‘yan hiningi diyan sa mga mayayaman. Ay akala nila ‘yung mayayaman ‘pag ang pari na nagdasal para sa kanila o nagdikit sila sa pari, langit sila,” he said.

The bitter exchange between the two figures started in November 2018 when Duterte accused David of using prohibited drugs.

The president must’ve mistaken him for someone else, David responded, and added that Duterte may be “sick.”

“Please remember, Jesus taught us to be merciful when dealing with sick people. I think it should be obvious to people by now that our country is being led by a very sick man. We pray for him” David said.