Church must lead by example on transparency, says Cagayan de Oro archbishop

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Jose Cabantan said the Church must lead the campaign for transparency and accountability by setting an example in managing its finances, amid rising public outcry against corruption in government.

Cabantan said the Church should be transparent by discussing its finances and economic activities with lay leaders and Church-based organizations.

“Corruption is not just a political issue. It is also a moral and spiritual issue and the Church should lead by setting an example,” Cabantan said.

Cabantan led about 400 parishioners in a rally at Gaston Park in Cagayan de Oro on Saturday, November 29, ahead of Sunday’s Trillion-Peso March Against Corruption on Sunday.

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Church leaders in Cagayan de Oro decided to hold their protest ahead of schedule to avoid overlapping with a political rally by supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who secured a permit to stage their activity at the nearby City Amphitheater on Sunday.

Cabantan said billions of pesos lost to corruption mean significant resources have been taken away from the poor and ordinary people who could have benefited from them.

“Justice demands more than punishment. It needs restitution by returning the wealth stolen,” he said.

Cabantan said the move by dismissed Bulacan 1st District engineer Henry Alcantara – who returned P110 million of the P300 million in kickbacks he received from flood control projects – was a step in the right direction. The archbishop said he hopes the gesture will be the first of many, and that others guilty of corruption will follow.

He also said they do not support calls to unseat President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and replace him with the vice president.

In Iligan City, Bishop Jose Ramirez Rapadas III warned that the country “is nearing the breaking point” due to the corruption scandals.

“We must not be complacent about it in order to help make things right,” Rapadas said. – Rappler.com