The head of the Catholic bishops’ leadership urged Filipinos to uphold the rule of law and reject calls for political shortcuts amid talk of snap elections and rumors of a coup to unseat the Marcos administration.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said corruption must be confronted through accountability, not by tearing down institutions that were built to serve the common good.
“Not through a coup, not through revolutionary government, not through military rule, not through snap elections,” David said in his homily during Mass at the Birhen ng Fatima Mission Station in Caloocan City on Oct. 8. “Let the rule of law work. What we need is not a new election term—but long prison terms for the plunderers.”
The cardinal cautioned against seeking reform through drastic means such as a coup or sudden elections, saying that genuine change must come from justice, truth, and the consistent application of the law.
“If a child gets dirty, we bathe the child—but we throw away the dirty water, not the child,” he said. “The same goes for government. Even if it fails us, we must not throw it away—it’s something we have built together. Let’s repair it, guard it, and make it work.”
The cardinal cautioned against seeking reform through drastic means, saying that genuine change must come from justice, truth, and the consistent application of the law.
David’s remarks came amid mounting public anger over alleged corruption in government flood control projects, which has sparked street protests in several cities in recent weeks.
He urged the faithful not to lose hope, saying moments of national frustration should become opportunities to renew integrity and strengthen public trust.
“Even if all the corrupt officials were to die, they would just be replaced by others like them,” David said. “We are all part of the problem; therefore, we must all be part of the solution. We must help dismantle this culture of corruption.”
