MANILA - Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Sunday said he is hoping President Rodrigo Duterte will be forgiven after he questioned God's logic and called Him "stupid."

"May my God forgive him and make him atone for his sins," said Lacson, adding that he previously thought that Duterte was God's gift to the country.

Lacson explained that he took Duterte's side despite having some doubts because he believed he is different from the past presidents.

• Duterte asks: 'Who is this stupid God?'

"Between him and my 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," he said.

Sen ⁦@iampinglacson⁩ on President Duterte’s calling of God as “stupid” prays: May my God forgive him (President Duterte) & make him atone of his sins ⁦@ANCALERTS⁩ ⁦@ABSCBNNews⁩ pic.twitter.com/BJYmnozpu9

— sherrie ann torres (@sherieanntorres) June 24, 2018

The President, an open critic of the Catholic Church, recently said he found it foolish for God to create something "perfect" and then allow the first humans, Adam and Eve, to ruin it by bringing sin into existence because of the forbidden fruit.

"Who is this stupid God? Estupido talaga itong p***** i** kung ganun. You created some -- something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work," he said.

This was not the first time that Duterte criticized God. In the past, he had questioned God's presence whenever crimes occur.

But back in 2016, Duterte credited God for giving him the presidency. "Ang Diyos ang naglagay sa akin dito," he said in one of his speeches. -- report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

• Duterte: God made me president