MANILA, Philippines – Kinondena ng Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) ang korapsyon sa flood control projects, kasabay ng panawagan na ibalik ang mga perang ninakaw mula sa taumbayan.
Sinabi ni CBCP president and Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David sa kanyang pastoral letter na ang private contractors at financiers, legislators, district engineers, government auditors, at political patrons “share in the plunder.”
Kasalukuyang iniimbestigahan ng Executive Department and Congress ang maanomalyang flood control projects.
Sa kabila nito, kinwestyon ni David ang kredibilidad ng Senado at Kamara na mag-imbestiga sa pagpupuntong ito ang “very institutions conducting them are themselves implicated.”
“Who inserted these projects into the national budget as pork, often at the expense of education, health, and social programs?” tanong niya.
Ani David, ang “true justice” ay higit pa sa pagpaparusa sa mga nagsasabwatan sa korapsyon.
“It also calls for restitution: that stolen wealth be returned to the public coffers from which it was taken,” sinabi ng Kalookan bishop.
“Many of those implicated will not be impoverished by such reparation, yet the nation remains poor if the funds are not restored.”
“Retribution in this sense is not personal vengeance but the rightful act of giving back what was stolen, so that the people may finally benefit from resources meant for their welfare,” dagdag pa niya.
Hinimok din niya ang mga kabataan na gamitin ang kanilang plataporma partikular ang digital space “to expose injustice, share facts, [and] demand reforms.”
“Make corruption shameful again,” ani David.
Dapat aniya ay maging mapagmasid at vocal ang mga tao, kontrahin ang patronage politics, magpakita ng katapatan sa araw-araw na buhay, lumikha ng komunidad na may katotohanan, lumahok sa civic at parish initiatives, suportahan ang independent probe, manawagan ng hustisya, at manguna bilang halimbawa sa simbahan.
Hiniling din niya sa mga lider ng pamahalaan, mga negosyante, at Simbahan na mamuhay nang simple.
“Let us rise above the floods of corruption together,” pagtatapos ni David. RNT/JGC
