TARLAKENYO (Sept. 21, 2025) – Bishop Roberto C. Mallari of the Diocese of Tarlac has issued a resounding call to action, firmly endorsing the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) initiative for a “Trillion Peso March,” a nationwide day of prayer and protest against systemic corruption on September 21.
In a powerful message sent to Radyo Veritas, Bishop Mallari declared, “Ako ay buong puso at buong tapang na nakikiisa sa A TRILLION PESO MARCH sa EDSA PEOPLE SHRINE! Hindi na natin dapat palampasin ang pagkakataong ito para ipakita ang ating lakas laban sa malawakang katiwalian sa gobyerno—lalo na sa harap ng mga isyung kinahaharap sa Kongreso at Senado tungkol sa mga Flood Control Projects.”
He fervently urged every citizen to participate: “Kaya’t nananawagan ako sa bawat kababayan, sama-sama tayong tumindig at mag-anyaya ng marami pang kapwa upang lumahok sa pinakamalawak at pinaka-makabuluhang pagkilos laban sa katiwalian! Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa natin mapupuksa ang paulit-ulit na katiwalian na sumisira sa ating bansa? Panahon na para magising at kumilos nang buong tapang!”
To ensure the message reaches every corner of his diocese, Bishop Mallari issued a direct order for all priests to read the full CBCP pastoral letter, “Beyond Survival: Rising Above the Floods of Corruption,” during the homily at all Sunday Masses.
The CBCP’s call for the protest is rooted in its pastoral letter, which condemns the “anatomy of corruption in public works,” citing that a multi-layered system of “commissions” often consumes up to sixty percent of project funds, leaving less than half for actual construction and resulting in substandard infrastructure.
The bishops have emphatically stated that the “Trillion Peso March” is “not a political spectacle, but a moral stand” against an entrenched culture of corruption that “robs our people of dignity, deepens poverty, and betrays our future.” They called on Filipinos to resist both apathy and violence, and to be wary of opportunists seeking to exploit public outrage for selfish gain.
“We must resist opportunists who exploit our outrage for selfish gain, while reminding our leaders that accountability must be pursued through due process, within the bounds of our Constitution and the rule of law,” the CBCP statement read, stressing that the goal is to strengthen democracy, not destabilize it.
The CBCP also issued a serious appeal to legislators, oversight bodies, and prosecuting agencies to “expedite the process of investigation and accountability,” demanding concrete solutions and an end to “empty rhetoric” and “the usual delaying tactics. Enough is enough!”
Beyond the protest, the pastoral letter outlines a comprehensive blueprint for action, urging the public to move from outrage to tangible change by embracing daily honesty, rejecting political patronage, building communities of truth, joining reform initiatives, demanding independent investigations and criminal justice, leading by example within the Church, and living a life of modesty in solidarity with the poor.
A special appeal was made to the youth to use digital platforms wisely to “document truth, expose wrongdoing, and build communities of conscience.”
The Church leaders concluded with a message of hope and resolve, calling for a nation rebuilt on “truth, justice, and the common good,” and urging everyone to meet corruption not with apathy, but with “faith, courage, and unity.”
