Archbishop Midyphil B. Billones of Jaro has called on Catholics to confront what he described as the deeper flood devastating the country — the flood of corruption.
In a circular, the prelate echoed the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) pastoral letter on flood control corruption, reminding priests, religious, and lay faithful that the crisis is not only about natural disasters but also about moral decay.
“When flooding occurs, it is sad to wake up to the truth that this is correlated not only to the weather but to the corruption around and within us,” Archbishop Billones wrote.
The prelate warned that when Filipinos “ allow corruption to become repeated” and when the public becomes “immune to its shock” or when it is accepted as norm, “it becomes endemic internally in man and externally in society.”
“The flooding that ravages us happens first within and continues on the outside,” he added.
The archbishop asked the faithful to take the bishops’ statement to heart and allow it to stir both reflection and action.
“First take it to heart, then share it, talk about it and let it affect you enough for you to be urged to take proactive response,” he urged.
He admitted that corruption has seeped so deeply into public life that it has already “flooded and ravaged our nation.”
Citing the words of a government official, he added that normalizing corruption has already flooded and ravaged our nation.
“Worse floods that come our way stem from this collective distortion. We humbly take our own share of the blame as we demand accountability from those around us,” he said.
Despite this grim picture, Archbishop Billones reminded Catholics that faith remains their anchor. He said faith with “help us ride the waves and rise from the tumultuous waters through righteousness, honesty, and accountability.”
“Let us rise above the floods of corruption together. Let justice roll down like waters across our land. Let us rebuild our nation on truth, justice, and the common good,” he said.
