Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Davao, Rodrigo Duterte accused the Catholic Church for the nation's fast-growing population.

"I only want three children for every family," he said, vowing to defy bishops on the issue.

"I'm a Christian, but I'm a realist so we have to do something with our overpopulation," Duterte said. "I will defy the opinion or the belief of the Church."

The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country made up of more than 7,000 islands. According to the 2015 census, the population of the Philippines is more than 100 million and is one of the largest in the region.

Eighty percent of the country say they belong to the Catholic Church. A majority of the people oppose abortion and contraception.

In 2012, a law was passed allowing the government to provide contraceptives. Even though the Catholic Church lobbied hard against the law and failed, bishops managed to persuade politicians to cut funding for the contraceptive program.

Now Duterte has vowed to expand the program dramatically when he takes office next month.

Duterte, who is Catholic, has lashed out at his own church in recent days, accusing them of being the "most hypocritical institution" and criticized bishops for getting involved in government policies.

"You sons of whores, aren't you ashamed? You ask so many favors, even from me," Duterte said during a television interview.

The 71-year-old Duterte is expected to take office next month and has vowed before then to confront Catholic bishops who've made money by taking advantage of the poor.

"I will lecture until June 29 the sins of the Catholic Church and whether or not you are still relevant," Duterte told reporters.

The Catholic Church has often played a big role in the nation's political life. But analysts say Duterte is trying to change that.

Antonio Contreras, a political science professor at De la Salle University in Manila, told a French newspaper that Duterte's criticisms of the Catholic Church has garnered him more support and marked the first time a candidate has directly challenged the country's religious elite.

"A lot of ordinary people say it is about time you have to challenge the Church and its hypocrisy," Contreras told AFP. "This is going to be an interesting episode. Whether the Church will use its muscle, we will see what happens."

Duterte is a controversial figure. In November 2015, he called Pope Francis a "son of a whore" after the Pontiff's visit to Manila caused numerous traffic jams.

Weeks later, he wrote to Pope Francis asking for forgiveness for his remark; the Vatican replied offering "assurances of prayers."

Duterte officially becomes president on June 30.

CBN News

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