Soon-to-be seated president Rodrigo Duterte said he might join the Seventh-day Adventist church if the Roman Catholic church will excommunicate him. This was expressed by Duterte during a media meeting with executives and editors of the Sun.Star Media Group May 18.
He was asked by Sun.Star if he is not afraid of being excommunicated from Roman Catholic church for his controversial pronouncements. Duterte said “kadaghan relihiyon! Di mag-Sabadista na lang ko.” (There are plenty of religions! I will convert to Seventh-day Adventist.)
“People were told not to vote for me, because I’m evil. And I said, OK. I accept that. Let this election be the referendum between me, Rodrigo Duterte, and the Catholic Church. Kayong mga Katoliko, don’t vote for me because magkakasala kayo. You have to follow your bishops,” he said as quoted by Sun.Star.
“Let this be a referendum. I have a majority of six million. I have 15 plus something million votes total. So, quo vadis, Church? Ano ngayon? I won. By a landslide. Where now is your injunction on the people?” he added.
He said he believes in God. “I have a deep and abiding faith that there is something out there that is a universal mind, and I cannot understand it. I believe in the Holy Spirit. The one who enters your mind and body is God, through the Holy Spirit,” he said.