The Philippine president, notorious for having cursed the pope and world leaders like former U.S. President Barack Obama, has sparked new outrage by calling God "stupid" in Asia's largest Catholic country.
Opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV shot back Monday by describing President Rodrigo Duterte as "one evil man" and his remarks as "very much consistent with the deceitfulness, heartlessness and ruthlessness of his policies." Even some of Duterte's political allies were critical.
FILE - In this Tuesday, June 11, 2018, file photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures while addressing the crowd at the 120th Philippine Independence Day celebrations south of Manila, Philippines. President Duterte, notorious for having insulted the pope and former U.S. President Barack Obama, has sparked outrage for calling God "stupid" in Asia's bastion of Catholicism. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)
A Catholic Bishop, Arturo Bastes, called the president a "madman" and urged Filipinos to pray for an end to Duterte's "blasphemous utterances and dictatorial tendencies."
"Duterte's tirade against God and the Bible reveals again that he is a psychological freak, a psychopath, an abnormal mind who should have not been elected as president of our civilized and Christian nation," Bastes said.
Another bishop, Ruperto Santos, said the president had crossed a line.
Duterte questioned in a televised speech Friday the Biblical story of man's creation and asked why God created Adam and Eve only to allow them to succumb to temptation that destroyed their purity.
"Who is this stupid God? This son of a bitch is then really stupid," said the 73-year-old leader, known for his rambling public statements. "How can you rationalize a God? Do you believe?"
Duterte lamented that Adam and Eve's sin in Christian theology resulted in all the faithful falling from divine grace. "You were not involved but now you're stained with an original sins ... What kind of a religion is that? That's what I can't accept, very stupid proposition," he said.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former national police chief, said he has often backed Duterte's policies, but after the president's utterances against God "to whom I pray every single day and with whom I've found solace and comfort in all my difficult times, I don't even have to think of my choice."
"May my God forgive him and make him atone for all his sins," Lacson said.
Duterte's spokesman defended his remarks, saying the president has the right to express his opinion on religion and cited his previous disclosure that he was once sexually abused as a student by a priest.
Duterte stressed that right in another speech Monday. "Why do you bind me with something very stupid? I was given my own mind by God."
Duterte shocked Filipino Catholics in 2015 when he cursed visiting Pope Francis for having triggered a monstrous traffic in Manila. He later apologized, but has repeatedly lashed out at bishops and the dominant Catholic church, which has criticized his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs.
Obama, who also raised alarm over the drug killings under Duterte, was also a target of the Philippine leader's tongue-lashing. He once said the American leader should "to go to hell."
The former longtime city mayor has repeatedly declared he does not care about human rights and has threatened drug dealers and other criminals with death. He warned he would withdraw the Philippines from the United Nations after its human rights experts called for an independent investigation into extrajudicial killings under his rule. He described the world body as hypocritical for failing to prevent genocides worldwide.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It looks like the third time is the charm as the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival prepares, again, for The Rolling Stones to perform.
The festival, which spans two weekends, opened Thursday with dozens of acts playing daily on 14 stages spread throughout the historic Fair Grounds race course. The Stones play next Thursday, May 2, tickets for which have long been sold out.
In 2019, festival organizers thought they had landed the legendary rock band, but the appearance was canceled because lead singer Mick Jagger had heart surgery. They tried again in 2021, but a surge in COVID-19 cases ultimately forced the fest to cancel.
Now, says festival producer Quint Davis, “It's gonna be special.”
This will be the first time the Stones play Jazz Fest.
Opening day acts include rock bands Widespread Panic and The Beach Boys, reggae artist Stephen Marley and jazz vocalist John Boutte.
“The talent is great, the weather is projected to be good and people's expectations are going to be met,” Davis said.
Blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in the 80s were forecast for opening day Thursday. Long lines of people were seen patiently waiting to buy big cups of iced tea, lemonade and coffee. Umbrellas, big hats and sunglasses were the accessories of the day.
Similar weather was expected for the rest of the first weekend, which runs through Sunday and showcases performances by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jon Batiste, country megastar Chris Stapleton, R&B singer Fantasia, rock band Heart, Cajun fiddler Amanda Shaw and The Cute Guys, jazz pianist Patrice Rushen, and blues and folk artist Ruthie Foster.
Walter Agnew of Round Lake, New York, said attending the festival had been on his bucket list since he retired from working at a chemical plant in 2020.
“COVID canceled my trip then but I finally made it here for the 2022 festival — and I came last year. This will be my third in a row,” he said.
Agnew said he's looking forward to Stapleton's performance on Saturday and Heart's on Sunday — and of course The Rolling Stones next week but “you really can't go wrong by any of the acts.”
“I'm just amazed at how they're able to put all this entertainment together in one spot,” he said. “Of course it's going to be good.”
Ginger Schell, of New Orleans, is a regular Jazz Fest attendee. Asked why she continues to return, Schell said laughing, “It's everything. It's the music. It's the food. It's the music!”
She said she and her family won't be able to see next week's performance by The Stones, noting the tickets were out of her budget.
“But we generally don't come for any one act in particular,” she said. “We just park our gear in a spot in front of the festival stage and wander throughout the grounds and look forward to being surprised."
Anticipation for the Stones' performance is palpable, Davis said.
“All I'm hearing is ‘How can I get a ticket?’” he said of fans trying to see the marquee performance. “Unfortunately for some, that day sold out in like a day-and-a-half after tickets went on sale. I think people have just waited so long for this.”
The Rolling Stones in October released “ Hackney Diamonds,” their first album of original material since 2005 and their first without drummer Charlie Watts, who died in 2021. Though he hasn't seen a set list, Davis said fans can expect to hear a mix of greatest hits and new releases. No special guests are expected to perform with the Rolling Stones, but Davis said “never say never.”
“Just expect euphoria," he said laughing. "I think maybe we're going to need some ambulances on site because people are going to spontaneously combust from the excitement. And, they're playing in a daylight event. They're gonna be able to make eye contact with the audience. That's going to create a really special bond.”
Acts on the festival's 14 stages usually play simultaneously beginning when gates open at 11 a.m. and continuing until the music ends at 7 p.m. But the other stages will shut down next week when the Stones take the stage.
“We didn't want to have 13 empty stages and no people in front of them when the Stones start singing favorites like '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' and ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash,'" Davis said. “Everyone who bought a ticket for that day primarily bought one to see The Stones.”
Davis said tickets for the festival's other days remain available and can be purchased online through their website.
Much of Jazz Fest celebrates the Indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana but the music encompasses nearly every style imaginable: blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, Zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, contemporary and traditional jazz, country, bluegrass and everything in between.
Colombia’s rhythms, from music to dance and food, also will be highlighted this year as part of the festival’s cultural exchange. Close to 200 Colombian artists are scheduled to participate, including headliners Bomba Estéreo on Saturday, ChocQuibTown’s lead singer Goyo in a guest appearance with local band ÌFÉ on Sunday, and salsa legends Grupo Niche closing the celebration on May 5.
And don’t forget the food. During the festival, food available on site includes crawfish bread, pecan catfish meuniere and catfish almondine, cochon de lait and turducken po-boys, boudin, crawfish étouffée, jambalaya, crawfish Monica and shrimp and grits.
Sound and electrical crews move heavy wiring around the Festival Stage on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in the final hours before the start of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Untrampled green grass in front of the Congo Square Stage, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, just hours before the start of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
FILE - Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones performs during a celebration for the release of their new album "Hackney Diamonds," Oct. 19, 2023, in New York. The 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival, which spans two weekends, was set to open Thursday, April 25, 2024, with dozens of acts big and small playing daily on 14 stages spread throughout the historic Fair Grounds race course. The Stones play next Thursday, May 2, and tickets for that day of music have long been sold out. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - The Rolling Stones perform at a celebration for the release of their new album, "Hackney Diamonds," Oct. 19, 2023, in New York. The 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival, which spans two weekends, was set to open Thursday, April 25, 2024, with dozens of acts big and small playing daily on 14 stages spread throughout the historic Fair Grounds race course. The Stones play next Thursday, May 2, and tickets for that day of music have long been sold out. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
