MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte will have a “one-on-one dialogue” with Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Romulo Valles, Malacañang said on Saturday.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque announced this after meeting Papal Nuncio Gabriel Giordano Caccia in his Malate residence during the Pope’s Day celebration on Friday.
Roque is among the four-man panel that the President tasked to have a dialogue with church leaders that day.
Other members of the committee are Foreign Affairs undersecretary Ernesto Abella, EDSA People’s Power Commission commissioner Pastor “Boy” Saycon and Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco.
Evasco was not able to attend the event because he was sick.
During the meeting, the panel and the Papal Nuncio agreed that cooperation is needed between the government and the church.
“In my meeting with the Papal Nuncio yesterday night, it was agreed that both the State and Church should work together for the benefit of the people,” Roque said in a statement.
He added that Duterte will have a dialogue with Valles but did not give further details about the schedule of the meeting.
“It was also agreed that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will have [a] one-on-one dialogue with the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines,” Roque said.
The Papal Nuncio “welcomes further meetings” with the Chief Executive, the Palace official added.
On Wednesday, the Papal Nuncio invited the President to attend the Pope’s Day. The invitation “came so late” for Duterte to attend, Roque said.
Duterte went to Palo, Leyte to visit uniformed personnel slain and injured in the “misencounter” between the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army in Samar province last week.
Earlier, Duterte said he would keep his silence “for now” and pause from making negative remarks against the Catholic Church.
“And for now, I will keep my silence for I want to see how the nation reacts. I’m shaking the tree. If you would notice me very now and then, either national or local, I’m really shaking the tree,” Duterte said during the 25th Annual National Convention of the Vice Mayor’s League of the Philippines in Bohol last Thursday.
Moreover, Duterte said he has no plans to apologize for his statements perceived as offensive by some sectors.
“No, I will not do that, definitely. Not in a million years,” he added. (With a report from PNA/PN)
