MANILA, Philippines – Catholic and Protestant leaders spearheaded a new anti-corruption movement in the Philippines, aiming to replicate the success of a Sept. 21 protest that drew tens of thousands of people to the country’s streets.
Together with other members of civil society, the religious leaders on Wednesday inaugurated the “Trillion Peso March Movement,” named after the “Trillion Peso March” protest last September 21. The peso is the unit of currency in the Philippines, and the name refers to the estimated amount of public money that’s been lost to corruption in the country.
The new movement said it is mounting bigger nationwide rallies on November 30, a public holiday in honor of the 19th-century Filipino hero Andres Bonifacio.
It’s part of the public outrage against the plunder of billions of pesos in flood control projects, which the Filipino Senate is now investigating. The allies of both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte have been implicated in the scandal, further dividing an already polarized nation.
The role of the Catholic Church, in times like these, has often been to unite Filipinos in protesting against corruption and poor governance. The prelate who often comes to mind is the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, who helped in toppling the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, the current President’s father, in 1986, through his sponsorship of the “People Power” movement.
It was, therefore, not a random occurrence that a Catholic bishop — Jose Colin Bagaforo of the Diocese of Kidapawan — read the Trillion Peso March Movement’s manifesto in a press conference at the historic Club Filipino on Wednesday.
Bagaforo, 71, is also the president of Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the bishops’ conference.
In its manifesto, the Trillion Peso March Movement said it aims to fight the “systemic corruption” and “excessive greed” that have robbed millions of Filipinos of education, health care, and other opportunities.
The group demanded swift action in prosecuting corruption cases, the recovery of ill-gotten wealth, and the assurance of full transparency in handling public funds.
“We, the conveners and leaders of this Trillion Peso March Movement, declare that corruption is the root of poverty, inequality, and injustice in the Philippines,” Bagaforo said. “We all call on every Filipino to join this collective fight for an honest, transparent, and accountable government.”
Judy Miranda, who handles public advocacy and action for the Trillion Peso March Movement, said the group will hold both a “moral protest” and a “people’s protest.”
The moral protest will come in the form of prayer and fasting, while the people’s protest will consist of rallies, noise barrage activities, and a campaign to wear white ribbons as a symbol of hope.
As part of the Trillion Peso March Movement, Catholic educators will form “circles of discernment” and educate communities on national politics, Miranda said.
A day of fasting will be declared, and weekly Masses will be held at the iconic EDSA Shrine, a chapel built to remember the 1986 People Power Revolution that ousted the dictator Marcos. “EDSA” refers to the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, a highway circling Manila where some two million protestors swarmed during the anti-Marcos movement.
Sunday prayer petitions will also be “aligned,” and priests and pastors will include insights on “corruption, moral renewal, and a call for active citizenship” in their homilies.
The seat of Catholicism in the country, the Archdiocese of Manila, is supporting this call against corruption.
While not explicitly echoing the manifesto of the Trillion Peso March Movement, Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula released another pastoral letter on Thursday to address the corruption scandal.
Advincula, a canon lawyer who graduated from the Angelicum in Rome, mandated the recitation of an oratio imperata (“obligatory prayer”) for “integrity, truth, and justice in all shrines, parishes, oratories, and chapels of the Archdiocese of Manila.”
“This prayer is to replace the Prayer of the Faithful during the celebration of the Holy Mass — a rare practice reserved only for the gravest of circumstances — as a clear expression of the urgency and seriousness of the situation,” Advincula said.
“Moreover, we order that all the bells of our churches be rung every evening at 8:00 p.m. This shall be both a prophetic cry of indignation and outrage against the evil of corruption, as well as a resounding call to contrition and conversion,” he added.
Advincula, 73, said these instructions will take effect beginning October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, until the time it is lifted.
“Dear brothers and sisters, let us stand united in prayer and action, so that truth, integrity, and justice may prevail over dishonesty, corruption, and self-interest,” the cardinal said.