SEOUL — President Duterte ended his two-hour long speech before the Filipino community on Sunday night with a quick kiss from a Filipina whom he gifted with a book he often quoted in criticizing the Catholic Church.
The President had offered the book “Altars of Secrets: Sex, Politics and Money in the Philippine Catholic Church” written by the late journalist Aries Rufo to the audience.
He first asked whether there was a priest around, drawing out laughter from the crowd, who apparently knew the President’s tiff with Catholic bishops who had criticized his war on drugs.
Amid cheers from the crowd, the President called on two women who then rushed to the stage. One kissed him on the cheek while the other jumped up and down while talking to him.
President Duterte then playfully signalled to one of the women to give him a kiss on the lips. She gave him a smack.
Before this, the President joked that the audience might end up leaving the Grand Hilton hotel and convention center as members of his “lglesia ni Rodrigo.”
He joked that under his “church,” members would make themselves happy because “you only live once.” /ee
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