Church leaders in the Philippines have issued a sweeping condemnation of alleged large-scale corruption in the country’s flood control projects, warning that the misuse of billions of pesos has worsened the suffering of ordinary citizens during recent typhoons and floods. Their statement adds moral and spiritual weight to mounting political pressure as Congress and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. intensify probes into the projects.
The Church Leaders Council for National Transformation, which includes Catholic and evangelical leaders, said in a declaration published on social media today (Sep. 5) that the revelations in recent Senate hearings show a “harrowing pattern of graft.” They cited anomalies including ghost projects, defective construction, padded budgets, and favoritism in contract awards, estimating that only 40 percent of the funding allocated for flood defenses had reached its intended use.
“This scandal has left our cities submerged in floods, amplifying the devastation wrought by typhoons and claiming innocent lives,” the leaders wrote. “Such corruption is not merely a fiscal betrayal; it is a moral abomination that strikes at the heart of our people’s dignity.”
The statement came as the House of Representatives infrastructure committee and the Senate’s powerful blue ribbon committee pressed forward with nationally televised inquiries. Lawmakers have questioned contractors and politicians about irregularities in projects funded through a budget of more than 308 billion pesos ($5.4 billion) this year for flood control and water resource development.
During one hearing, senators grilled a private contractor who acknowledged owning at least 28 luxury cars but denied any wrongdoing. Another contractor, asked whether his company had “ghost projects,” invoked his right against self-incrimination and refused to answer, the Associated Press reported. Rep. Elajiah San Fernando, pointing to the magnitude of the budget, warned that the corruption could be “of the grandest kind” and vowed that Congress aimed “to see your heads rolling, to hold you into account and lock you up in jail.”
President Marcos, meanwhile, announced Monday that he would form an independent commission to investigate the irregularities after personally inspecting substandard projects in several provinces. He said more than 6,000 of the 9,000 flood control initiatives launched during his three years in office displayed inadequate or unusual specifications. “I’m getting very angry,” Marcos told reporters after an August inspection of a riverbank concreting project in Bulacan province that was listed as completed despite no work being done.
The issue has struck a nerve in a country among the most disaster-prone in the world. In July, back-to-back typhoons and monsoon rains displaced more than 300,000 people, damaged nearly 3,000 homes, and left at least 26 people dead, according to government tallies. Lawmakers and civic groups say that poorly designed or fraudulent flood control projects worsened the inundation in several regions, including the province of Laguna south of Manila.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, has separately urged young Filipinos to “expose injustice” and to “make corruption shameful again.” The new council statement echoed that appeal, grounding its criticism in Scripture. Citing verses from Amos 5:12 and Proverbs 15:27, the leaders warned that bribery and greed bring ruin not only to households but to the nation as a whole.
“The unconscionable misuse of public funds is a result of massive abuse of authority and gargantuan greed for material wealth,” the council said. “Corruption perverts the course of righteousness and tears down the foundations of society.”
The leaders stressed that the scandal directly harms the most vulnerable — urban poor communities forced into evacuation centers, farmers whose fields are destroyed by floods, and children deprived of safe homes and schools. They called on Filipinos across all sectors, including clergy, public servants, and lay citizens, to rise in “prophetic witness” and press for accountability.
“Demand accountability, support transparent reforms, and vote with integrity,” they urged. “Together, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can forge a nation where resources serve the common good, not private gain.”
