Diocese to Duterte:

Listen to opposing voices
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Diocese of Bacolod, through its Social Action Center (SAC), called on President Rodrigo Duterte, ahead of his State of the Nation Address yesterday afternoon, to listen to opposing voices.
SAC head, Rev. Fr. Chris Gonzales, said he questions why the administration would accused Catholic bishops of sedition, or speech that incites the public to rebel against an authority.
“I want Duterte to at least listen to opposing voices, we are a democracy, and, being a democratic society, we should listen,” Gonzales said.
“Is it sedition that you express your own opposing views?” he asked, “If we cannot express our views are we still a democracy?”
During a previous visit to Bacolod City earlier this year, Duterte criticized the Catholic Church, affirming, he has “a serious problem with the church.”
“Nobody can stop a citizen from criticizing me,” the president explained but, pointed out, if priests want to criticize him, do it as a “Filipino Citizen” and not as a member of the church.
Meanwhile, around 2,100 people belonging to various progressive groups in Negros Occidental participated in a protest rally yesterday at the Bacolod Public Plaza./DGB, WDJ