“Saycon may be a lot of things, but one can take him seriously on this, given the fact that he had been involved in many Church-backed coups against presidents and their governments.”

Pastor “Boy” Saycon, drafted by the Palace as a member of the three-man team to engage in a dialogue with religious groups, was quoted in a radio interview on the possibility of the local Catholic Church leaders destabilizing President Duterte and his government.

He stressed there are “radical” members of the Catholic Church, although he believes that, in general, the Church leadership does not meddle in these destabilization efforts.

Saycon, probably not wanting to ruffle the feathers of the Catholic Church leaders before the dialogue even starts, added the threats to oust President Duterte do not come from the Church, but from organizations connected to foreign groups with “foreign interests.” This may be because Duterte does not toe the “whims” of foreigners, particularly the Americans, the report said, quoting him from the radio interview.

Saycon may be a lot of things, but one can take him seriously on this, given the fact that he had been involved in many Church-backed coups against presidents and their governments.

Prime examples of this fact would be his and his organization’s active role in the Edsa revolt against then-President Ferdinand Marcos and the assumption of Corazon Aquino to the presidency.

There is no denying the fact the then-leader of the local Catholic Church, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, along with other bishops, was deep into destabilization and ouster moves against Marcos and plotted the revolt along with the then-political opposition and what was then called the “mosquito press” that had transformed itself into the yellow media serving as the attack dog against the government they dislike and serve, too, as a propaganda sheet for yellow-stained politicians, then and now.

However, having tasted the power of the Church’s influence in politics and deprived of it today under the regime of Duterte, there the bishops went again, with the same destabilizing opposition groups, including the unprofessional military, plotting the successful ouster of the democratically elected president, Joseph Estrada, simply because the Church didn’t like him.

The Church leaders were led by Jaime Sin, together with the political opposition, the communists, Cory Aquino and former President Fidel Ramos.

The plotters included even the Supreme Court justices, led by the biggest constitutional violator, then SC Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. quoting the bible yet while committing the gravest constitutional sin.

Saycon and his group were also part of the ouster of Estrada. They installed then Vice President Gloria Arroyo as President.

Foreign interests, chiefly American officials, were involved in both coups against two Philippine presidents who refused to toe their line.

There were no successful coups staged during the terms of Arroyo and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, as both presidents toed the American line.

One can hardly blame President Duterte for his belligerence and the use of his foul mouth in getting back at several bishops, attacks against him, especially from bishop Soc Villegas, who tries to ape Jaime Sin, the yellows’ sainted cardinal who lost his “sainthood” after plotting Edsa 2.

Bishops have been blasting Duterte too often and, as expected, receive a tongue-lashing from Duterte.

The point is the Church leaders and their priests cannot be freed of the ingrained suspicion, especially from the masses, that all attacks made by them are preludes to yet another ouster plot against their popular president, Rodrigo Duterte.

Things among the Church, evangelical leaders and Duterte, went from bad to worse due to Duterte taking a passage from Genesis in the bible during an unscripted speech.

He was probably reacting to yet another stinging volley of attacks from some bishops critical of Duterte, who had called God “stupid” and caused an uproar among the Catholic bishops and other religious leaders, who all condemned him for his “blasphemous” attack on God.

Yet they all showed intolerance of other beliefs and convictions, forgetting that what is blasphemous to these Catholics and other Christian religions may not be considered blasphemous to, say, atheists, agnostics, pagans, Muslims or born again Christians.

Some probably believe in a higher power, or cast off completely that belief in a higher power, going by science and Darwin, who theorized that we have all come from apes.

As Duterte himself said, your (Catholic and Christian) God is not my God.

It really is time for Catholic bishops and priests and nuns, the evangelicals, the yellows and the communists to put their coup plans to rest forevermore.

Let each one give honor, praise and glory to the God they believe in. But they should learn to be tolerant over other people’s beliefs in their God, Yahweh, a higher intelligence, Allah, nature, Espiritistas, good and bad witches, or maybe even those who believe our ancestors were apes.

To each his own beliefs and convictions.