‘Do not be judgmental,’ bishop advises Duterte

By Ben Serrano,
Correspondent

BUTUAN City — One of the controversial “SUV Bishops,” Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, of the Diocese of Butuan, admonished Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for criticizing the Roman Catholic Church and suggested Duterte to show some “delicadeza.”

In a press statement, Pueblos advised Duterte not to be judgmental, show  humility instead of criticizing the Roman Catholic church who opposed his plan for three-child family policy and Duterte’s pronouncements that his administration will be serious in implementing family planning program.

But Duterte clarified his plans for three-child family policy is purely voluntary on the part of the Filipino families after visiting a slum area in Davao City where he saw how a barker’s family of ten children suffered in poverty.

It can be recalled that Pueblos was consistently critical to President Benigno Aquino, III’s administration particularly in handling the case against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Pueblos claimed that he and Duterte where once together in a negotiation for the release of prisoners of war held by the New People’s Army and that he knew Duterte very well when he (Pueblos) was once assigned in Davao City for two years.

Pueblos said he observed Duterte is not actually close with the Roman Catholic Church from the very start.

Pueblos was once figured in controversy when he allegedly asked for a luxury vehicle from Arroyo as birthday gift from the former president.

Pueblos reasoned he was only asking for a workable vehicle like a 4×4 type that will bring him to hinterland areas in the Diocese of Butuan.

Diocese of Butuan covers areas in all of churches in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Butuan City.

Pueblos’ Diocese of Butuan is among the biggest in coverage in Caraga Region if not in Mindanao.