Trillion Peso March’ fatigue

While not everyone could participate in the “Trillion Peso March” held last Nov. 30, many others joined in pounding the gates of heaven during the First Sunday of Advent masses. The “Oratio Imperata for Integrity, Truth and Justice” was prayed aloud en masse at Catholic churches and parishes all over the country. It echoed the Filipino people’s prayer to save us all from the evils of corruption.

In the liturgical calendar, Advent is the period preparing for the birth of Jesus Christ. To start the celebration of the mass for the First Sunday of Advent, a lavender-colored candle at the altar is lit. As our parish priest explained, it is the color of hope among the four colored candles lit up until Christmas Day mass.

It just so happened that First Sunday of Advent fell this year on Nov. 30, coinciding with the birth anniversary of one of our country’s revolutionary heroes, Gat Andres Bonifacio. Principal rally organizers precisely picked this day to gather massive crowds to dramatize the national outrage and revolution calls against the alleged “ghost” flood control projects.

The Trillion Peso March stood for the amount of our government’s annual budget wasted in highly anomalous flood control projects. The on-going investigations revealed the bulk of budget allocations went to the pockets of contractors conniving with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and certain corrupt lawmakers.

The first Trillion Peso March had its biggest gathering last Sept. 21, coinciding with the martial law anniversary. Many of us Filipinos would rather not observe this dark chapter in our country’s history. The dissonant voices that joined the protest marches that day in Luneta, Lawton and EDSA Shrine ended in violence in Mendiola, Manila. Splintered groups, mostly youngsters in black shirts, tried to violently force their way to Malacañang Palace.

Naturally, peace-loving people got turned off by how the public sentiments were being twisted to suit certain vested political interests. Such was echoed at the People Power Monument in front of the EDSA Shrine last Sunday.

On the eve of his stepping down as president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Kalookan bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David doused cold water on the acolytes of shadowy, power-hungry people behind the “Resign All” calls to pave the way for a “reset” of the Philippine government. Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera officially assumed the presidency of the CBCP last Monday. David, on the other hand, is currently the vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference.

Speaking at the second Trillion Peso March at the EDSA Shrine, Cardinal David called upon members of the uniformed personnel of the police and military to ignore the noise but remain loyal to the flag, country and people in defense of Philippine democracy. Cardinal David warned those agitating for a “revolutionary government” that this is the path that will turn the Philippines into a “banana republic” ruled by a military-led junta.

Cardinal David told them outright the Catholic Church of the Philippines won’t be tempted to lead or accept any offer to be included in any “transitional” or “caretaker” government. He, however, stopped short of identifying people behind such extra-constitutional plots.

Turning to lawmakers of the 20th Congress, Cardinal David exhorted them to pass into law political reforms that will strengthen Philippine democracy. “Democracy cannot function fully until these tumors, especially political dynasties, are removed,” the cardinal pointed out. He urged them to approve the enabling law to ban political dynasties as enshrined in our country’s 1987 Constitution.

Cardinal David did not spare President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from his admonition: “Do your work.” This was met with loud applause from the crowd. The cardinal implored the President to show conviction and finish what he started, to prove his worth and reminded him: “Show us you will pursue corrupt officials impartially, wherever the trail of evidence may lead.”

Cardinal David reiterated his appeal for discernment of the Filipinos on what would be for the greater good of the nation. “We do not need to burn down the whole house because we want to catch and hold accountable the cockroaches and rats of our society,” he cautioned.

The CBCP leadership reasserted its moral and spiritual authority over the Filipino Catholics in the Oratio Imperata, or “Obligatory Prayer.” Oratio Impertata is a set of invocative prayers ordered by local bishops for a special intention, or when a grave need or calamity occurs. Read at the pulpits in churches that same day:

Heavenly Father,

You led Your people out of slavery as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

In this time when shadows of deceit and corruption cloud our land, shine upon us Your light that scatters all darkness.

We confess that we ourselves have often walked in darkness.

In our silence, in our compromises and in our indifference, we have allowed corruption to grow and falsehood to spread.

Forgive us, Lord, and cleanse our hearts of this grave moral evil that robs the poor of bread and the nation of hope.

Give us leaders after the Heart of your Son: shepherds who serve, not wolves who devour.

By the power of your Holy Spirit, give us the courage to reject lies, expose deceit, uphold justice and defend the truth, in all our dealings – whether public or private – that integrity may flourish in our land like a river and righteousness like a mighty stream.

O God of justice and mercy, make our nation a vineyard that bears good fruit – not poisoned by greed, manipulation and selfishness, but nourished by honesty, compassion and love.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mary, Mirror of Justice, pray for us.

St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us.

St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod, pray for us.

Cardinal David’s address naturally drew criticism from those agitating for “Resign All.” But it resonates with many Filipinos who would rather observe the Christmas season in peace than conflict and Trillion Peso March fatigue.