A coalition of Catholic and Evangelical church leaders has denounced widespread corruption in the country’s flood control projects, calling it “economic sabotage” and “a moral abomination.”
The Church Leaders Council for National Transformation, led by Bishop Colin Bagaforo of Caritas Philippines, Bishop Robie Gaa of Novaliches, and Bishop Efraim Tendero of the Evangelical Churches of the Philippines, issued the statement on Friday.
Citing findings presented by Senator Panfilo Lacson, the Council warned that billions of pesos in flood protection funds were diverted through ghost projects, substandard works, and favoritism. Only 40 percent reportedly reached their intended use.
“This scandal has left our cities submerged, amplified the devastation of typhoons, and claimed innocent lives. It is a betrayal of the people’s dignity,” said Bishop Bagaforo.
The Council drew from Catholic social teaching and earlier Church documents, including its 2025 message May Pag-Asa Pa Ba?, which condemned the “scandalous misuse of public funds” that deepens poverty and inequality.
It also recalled the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ 2019 pastoral letter on ecology, which linked corruption to environmental destruction, with the poor paying the highest price.
“Every peso stolen is a life put at risk. Every corrupt deal is a flood that submerges our nation’s future,” Bishop Gaa stressed.
The bishops tied the issue to the Season of Creation, saying corruption in infrastructure projects mirrors the energy sector’s reliance on fossil fuels.
“When families cannot afford light in their homes because of our addiction to dirty and expensive fuels, this too is a form of corruption against the common good,” Bishop Tendero said.
The Council urged Filipinos to demand transparency in government projects, push reforms to ensure proper use of funds, and uphold ecological stewardship as justice for the vulnerable.
In their joint statement, the bishops declared: “We will stand with the poor, we will expose corruption, and we will work for national transformation.”
