Philippines

Church on a collision course to Duterte

With a radical government programme, the future President Rodrigo Duterte is against the Catholic Church. For the power-drenched bishops of the Philippines this collision course, an Affront.

The biggest struggle for power between the clergy and government in the Philippines thirty years ago. At that time, the bishops went against the dictator Ferdinand Marcos to the barricades. The “People Power Revolution”, also “rosary revolution” that was led by the Church, mostly peaceful citizens ‘ protest movement that led to the overthrow of Marcos. In February activists, including nuns, gathered in Manila to commemorate the anniversary of the popular uprising (article image).

Even today, the Church enjoys in the Philippines, a major influence on politics and everyday life. More than 80 percent of Filipinos are Catholics, the island state is the Bastion of the Church of Rome in Asia. In many policy issues, especially in family policy, proved the bishops in the last few years, its position of power: they protested against the law on birth control, and until today, vehemently opposed the legalization of divorce in the country.

The late cardinal Jaime L. Sin was the face of the Church’s resistance against the Marcos Regime

Duterte is on a collision course

The future President Duterte doesn’t want to let this influence exercised, and makes no secret of his dislike for the men of the Church. In his usual vulgar way of speaking, he called them least of all “sons of Bitches” and described the Catholic Church as a “pseudo-sacred Institution of the country”. Duterte accused the bishops of the corruption and assured that he would disclose after his arrival, all the sins of the Catholic Church. So far, the Church has hardly responds to Dutertes accusations. Archbishop Socrates Villegas, President of the Catholic bishops ‘ conference of the Philippines, said in a recent press conference, his response to the Dutertes Utterances, the Silence of Jesus before the arrogance of Pontius Pilate “is”.

Chairman Bishop Socrates Villegas responded (yet) left on Dutertes threat that he would disclose the “sins of the Church in the Philippines”

A Radical Government Program

After his inauguration on June 30. June wants to legalize Duterte divorces, the death penalty, to introduce and slowing population growth. Three children per family should not be allowed. For the power of the Catholic Church in the country, this government program is spoiled by an Affront. A particular point of controversy, the announced re-introduction of the death penalty is what the fight had Duterte already made the choice. Under pressure from the Catholic Church, the European Union and human rights groups, the then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, decided in 2006, the abolition of the death penalty. Duterte wants to see you apply soon for drug offenses, rape, robbery, car theft and corruption.

Many Filipino Church representatives are the most uncompromising and announced resistance, should return the country to the death penalty. The Archbishop of Lipa, Ramon Arguelles, announced that he would step down “voluntarily to take the place of those who want to depend on the government”. Within the bishops ‘ conference of Arguelles with its protest announcement alone: “We will put on each case, the Plan, and the whole Catholic bishops’ conference of the Philippines,” said Archbishop Oscar Valero Cruz : “The Church will not remain quiet, sit still, but against the death penalty charge.”

Duterte wants to take harsh measures against crime, among other things, by the re-introduction of the death penalty

Family policy: New Chance for birth control?

In terms of family policy, many experts see the Dutertes Position against the Catholic Church, however, as a positive sign. So Raquel A. G. Reyes, a columnist and a researcher at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS), wrote in London recently in the “Manila Times”: “Duterte disregards the resistance of the Church against contraception. This setting could eliminate the misery of many families and support women.” Every year, the Philippines is around 800,000 unintended pregnancies, more than half of them end up in illegal, usually life-threatening abortions. At the same time, Overpopulation is a serious Problem in a country where around a third of the population is considered poor. “A President who fights for the reproductive rights of women and families, can lead the country towards a better future,” said Reyes. That Duterte, known for misogynistic views, birth control, the woman wants to introduce rights based, however, remains questionable.

Cheers to the act of 2012 on government funding of birth control measures and sex education. The Church sabotaged the law.

The lack of public debate

Surprisingly Dutertes harsh Church is not criticism, especially during the election campaign, many bishops were against him. Apart from the power struggle between the Church and politics, the public critical debate about the Dutertes government program is missing, however. Ryan Tani, founder of the organization “Filipino Freethinkers”, which began, among other things, strong for the law to birth control, with increasing anxiety: “Many supporters of the Duterte threatening his critics – activists, bloggers, celebrities, even children and students – with rape and death. It would be naive to believe that the Utterances of a charismatic leadership pers änlichkeit influence the public’s behavior.” Recently Durterte threatened the Congress to resolve, should be initiated because of its unclear Bank transactions for impeachment proceedings against him. The “People Power Revolution” appears thirty years later in the distant future.