A Philippine bishop cautioned that the fight against corruption must not end with one-day protests, but demands a “deep and lasting commitment to fight for justice and accountability.”
“To make our collective action truly effective, we must organize and engage in transformative actions. This is how we broaden our shared dream of social transformation,” said Bishop Gerardo Aliminaza of San Carlos.
In a pastoral letter issued after the September 21 nationwide protests, the prelate said Filipinos “deserve better from their government,” adding that the public “cannot afford to be complacent or afraid to speak the truth.”
“We must demand accountability from those in public office,” said Alminaza, who is the incoming president of Caritas Philippines. The bishop said the cry for justice must resound in churches, homes, institutions, and public spaces.
He said slogans such as “Magnanakaw, ikulong!” or “Jail the thieves!” are not just chants but the voice of the poor and all victims of systemic corruption.
To be effective, he said, Filipinos must go beyond expressing anger and “build a renewed nation and communities of faith, ready to act for a revolution that starts in our hearts and leads to lasting and meaningful change.”
Alminaza also celebrated signs of hope. He cited the release of the Mabinay 6—young activists and peasant organizers who were detained for more than seven years on false charges of illegal possession of firearms—as proof that solidarity can yield victories.
“Their freedom is a testament to the power of solidarity and a reminder that our fight for justice is never in vain,” he said.
The prelate further linked the struggle against corruption with the fight for climate justice. He denounced the trillion-peso flood-control scandal, describing it as a scheme that worsened climate impacts while enriching contractors, politicians, and officials.
Quoting the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, he said, “The greater flood is corruption itself, drowning our nation’s future.”
Alminaza said the call for justice and accountability “is not seasonal” but “a continuous, unchanging commitment to social transformation.”
He urged the Catholic faithful to remain vigilant “until justice truly prevails in our land.”
