Incoming President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said there will be no fancy celebration during his inauguration, will only serve finger foods to guests at Malacanang palace and will deliver only 5 minutes nationwide television address to spell out his governance. PHOTO BY DENNIS JAY SANTOS / INQUIRER MINDANAO
DAVAO CITY—For over an hour on Monday night, presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte gave another preview of what could be a most controversial and unpredictable administration.
Duterte said he would allow the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani, grant pardon to detained former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, legalize medicinal marijuana, and approve a three-child policy using family planning methods frowned upon by the Catholic Church.
The outspoken Davao City mayor notorious for his lengthy and invective-laced speeches also said his inaugural speech would last only five minutes and that there was no need for him to practice for the momentous event.
Harshest words
Duterte seemed to have reserved his harshest words for the Catholic Church and its bishops who, he said, were “doing many wrongs,” including “not correcting the abuses of priests,” so “maybe (people should) stop listening to them.”
For good measure, he declared that he was thinking of implementing a three-child policy as part of family planning and making available birth control methods, including the use of condoms, which the Catholic Church disapproves of.
A national population policy must be put in place because the country’s resources cannot meet the growing demands of the populace, Duterte said.
But the three-child policy was a mere suggestion, he said. “I cannot force the people to follow. We are just suggesting that you are in good hands if you just limit the number of your children.”
Lashing out at Catholic bishops, some of whom received SUVs from then President Arroyo, Duterte barked: “When have you started using Monteros? Stop making a fool of the Filipinos. You should be ashamed.”
He added: “You have not done anything. There are so many abuses that the Church has committed. Better go down on bended knees and pray to God and ask pardon from Filipinos.” Reports from Karlos Manlupig and Dennis Jay Santos, Inquirer Mindanao; and the wires
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