Duterte Calls Bishops 'Sons of B***hes', Urges Them to Come Out 'in the Open'

The remarks came after Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who is well-known for his controversial relationship with the Catholic church, slammed bishops in his country last month as "useless fools" and called on his people to "kill them".

In his latest attack on Catholic bishops, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte did not think twice before cursing the religious leaders, whom he accused of homosexuality.

"Only I can say bishops are sons of b***hes, damn you. That is true. Most of them are gay. They should come out in the open, cancel celibacy and allow them to have boyfriends", Duterte said during his speech at a groundbreaking ceremony for a school near the capital Manila on Friday.

READ MORE: I Believe in God But the War Against Drugs Made Him My Enemy – Duterte

Duterte reportedly said earlier that he was sexually abused by a priest when he was a boy.

His remarks Friday followed a speech at the presidential palace in December, in which he called on his countrymen to kill his country's Catholic bishops, who he said were little more than "useless fools".

He also branded the Catholic Church "the most hypocritical institution", arguing that his God was different from the one Catholics believed in.

READ MORE: 'Sorry, God': Philippines' Duterte Reportedly Apologizes to God

A baptised Catholic, Duterte has repeatedly used stern words to target the bishops, who in turn often criticised his deadly crackdown on the narcotics trade.

In November 2018, the Philippine Star reported that Duterte had lashed out at Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Caloocan, saying that "I suspect you are into illegal drugs".

Earlier, the Philippine President referred to God as "stupid" and a "son of a b*tch", suggesting that if there's "one single witness" who can prove God's existence by showing him a selfie together, he would immediately resign from office.