METROPOLITAN Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Jose Advincula implored Filipinos to hold peaceful protests against what he described as “one of the vilest scams” in Philippine history.
The statement comes after church groups and 200 civil society organizations, including the political party Akbayan, gathered on Monday to plan a rally on Sept. 21, demanding accountability from the perpetrators of fraudulent flood control projects.
“In a healthy democracy, the people’s fiscalizing participation in governance is not confined to the election season,” Advincula said in a statement.
The bishop stressed that corruption, if left unchecked, will ruin society. He added that through peaceful protests, the public can “hold leaders accountable through acts of vigilance and discernment.”
“Let us put our country and the people’s interest foremost in our minds. Let us hope and pray that justice and peace may reign in our hearts, that God will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our broken land,” said Advincula.
Meanwhile, the Australia chapter of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Monday announced that they will hold their own protests on Sept. 21 at the Sydney Town Hall and at the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne.
