“CORRUPTION IS A SIN AGAINST GOD AND THE POOR”

Statement on Systemic Corruption and Accountability

REDEMPTORIST MISSIONARIES OF THE PHILIPPINES

Corruption in the Philippines is not simply about a few greedy individuals. It is a system—a
machine of fraud and theft that has been embedded in government transactions, contracts,
and projects for decades. It thrives on manipulating bids, inflating infrastructure costs, padding
budgets, creating “ghost” employees and beneficiaries, and fostering a culture of patronage
that sacrifices the common good for political survival.

We see its devastating effects everywhere: unfinished and substandard infrastructure,
promised programs that never happen, public funds stolen for private gain, overpriced projects
full of kickbacks, environmental destruction enabled by bribery, and relief efforts mismanaged
while people remain hungry and homeless.

These are not isolated acts—they are symptoms of a systemic corruption that bypasses laws,
weakens institutions, and mocks justice. It is theft from the poor. It is a betrayal of the people.
It is a serious sin before God.

We cannot remain silent. The Gospel calls us to embrace a prophetic mission:

•  Expose the structures of corruption. We must demand accountability not only from
  small-time culprits but also from those who design and shield corrupt systems at the
  highest levels of power.
• Reject impunity and patronage politics. Public office is a sacred trust, not a family
  inheritance or a business venture.
• Defend the truth against lies and disinformation. Fake news and propaganda protect
  the corrupt and silence the poor.
• Stand with the poor and the marginalized. Every peso stolen is food, medicine, and
  dignity taken from those who suffer most.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori, our founder and moral theologian, taught that conscience must not be
compromised when the rights of the poor are violated. Ignoring systemic corruption corrupts
conscience itself. Resisting it is to live the Gospel in truth, mercy, and justice. 
Therefore, with firm conviction, we declare: Enough is enough! Corruption is not just politics as
usual—it is a sin against God and the Filipino people.

We stand with the communities we serve, with the poor and the excluded, and with everyone
who cries out for justice. We join the call for accountability, restitution, and real reform. Let us
dismantle the machinery of corruption and build a society founded on honesty, compassion,
and the dignity of every Filipino.