Philippines: Church leaders slam ‘large-scale corruption’ in flood-control projects, demand accountability

The Church Leaders Council for National Transformation condemned alleged large-scale corruption in the country’s flood management projects and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

In a September 5 statement, the council blasted alleged irregularities worth tens of billions of pesos as “economic sabotage” and “a moral abomination.

Drawing on Senate findings aired by Senator Panfilo Lacson, the Council charged that billions in flood-control funds were lost to ghost projects, shoddy work, and political favoritism—leaving just 40 percent for their purpose, the church leaders stated.

On August 20, Lacson called Bulacan the “most notorious” for anomalies in DPWH flood control projects, citing the P43.5 billion worth of contracts awarded to the province from 2021 to 2024.

“This scandal has submerged our cities, worsened typhoon devastation, and taken innocent lives,” declared Bishop Colin Bagaforo, the council’s co-leader. “It betrays the dignity of our people."

The flood-control scandal, the council said, exemplifies a deeper systemic rot, where greed and impunity erode governance, devastate communities, and undermine the common good.

“Every peso stolen is a life put at risk,” declared Bishop Robie Gaa of the Diocese of Novaliches. “Every corrupt deal is a flood that submerges our nation’s future.”

The council linked the scandal to the broader ecological struggle highlighted during the Season of Creation. Leaders warned that corruption in public projects is mirrored in the energy sector, where reliance on coal and other fossil fuels has pushed up electricity prices, punishing the poor.

“When families cannot afford light in their homes because of our addiction to dirty and costly fuels, this too is a form of corruption against the common good,” declared Bishop Efraim Tendero of the Evangelical Churches of the Philippines.

The council called on Filipinos, lay faithful, clergy, public servants, and civil society leaders, to take part in prophetic witness by pressing for transparency and accountability in government projects, backing reforms that safeguard public funds for their rightful beneficiaries, and promoting ecological stewardship as an act of justice and defense of the vulnerable.

The council is co-led by Bishop Colin Bagaforo of Caritas Philippines, Bishop Robie Gaa of the Diocese of Novaliches, and Bishop Efraim Tendero of the Evangelical Churches of the Philippines

“We will stand with the poor, we will expose corruption, and we will work for national transformation,” the bishops declared.