MANILA, PHILIPPINES—The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, has issued a powerful moral challenge to all individuals implicated in the massive corruption scandal surrounding the nation’s flood control projects: come forward, face the truth, take responsibility, and return the stolen public funds.
Speaking on the deeply moral dimensions of the controversy, Cardinal David, who is also the Bishop of Kalookan, reiterated the Church’s demand for accountability and full restitution in what he has previously termed a “sin against the poor.”
Repentance Requires Restitution
Cardinal David emphasized that genuine repentance for the corruption must go beyond simple rhetoric and requires tangible acts of justice.
In his message to those involved—which he noted includes contractors, financiers, legislators, and various government officials—the Cardinal outlined what he called the “essential” steps of Christian reconciliation:
- Confession: The courage to admit the wrong that has been done.
- Reparation: The willingness to repair the damage.
- Restitution: The absolute need to “return what has been taken.”
“True justice demands more than punishment. It also calls for restitution: that stolen wealth be returned to the public coffers from which it was taken,” Cardinal David stated, stressing that the restoration of funds is what truly completes the act of repentance.
The Cardinal insisted that the stolen wealth, which was meant to protect communities from flooding, must be restored so that the people—especially the poor—can finally benefit from the resources intended for their welfare.
Corruption: The ‘Real Disaster’
The Church leader has been a vocal critic of the corruption, arguing that it, more than climate change or natural disasters, is the “real disaster” plaguing the country and worsening the perennial flooding woes.
He warned that the machinery of corruption and patronage politics continues to undermine democratic institutions, keeping communities poor by treating public funds as “personal property.”
Cardinal David’s call comes as the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) continues to submit its reports to the Office of the Ombudsman, recommending charges against numerous former and incumbent officials over allegedly anomalous and “ghost” flood control projects across the country.
