By Eva Visperas
DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan – In a deeply reflective pastoral letter issued on the first day of Simbang Gabi, Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan has called on the faithful to reflect on the moral state of the nation in light of ongoing scandals and criminal activities that have emerged through investigations in Congress.
Titled “Our Country and the Ten Commandments,” the letter addresses the distress and unrest gripping the nation as it enters the Christmas season.
The Archbishop highlighted the disturbing findings from investigations into POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators), drug trafficking, torture, and murder, calling for a return to moral integrity based on the Ten Commandments.
Archbishop Villegas began his message with a direct appeal to lawmakers conducting investigations into criminal activities, urging them to see their work as an act of worship, guided by truth and justice.
He emphasized that pursuing personal and parochial interests would be akin to “worshipping a graven image,” and called on lawmakers to be courageous in the face of pressure, always speaking the truth and seeking justice.
The letter also tackled widespread issues of fraudulence and corruption, particularly within government agencies such as the National Statistics Authority and the Bureau of Immigration.
“Those who allowed their offices to be conscripted into fraudulent schemes and criminal falsehood should now be prosecuted and held to account for this betrayal,” he said.
In a powerful section on violence, the Archbishop expressed horror over the murders and torture that have been reported in POGO sites, including the planned assassination of a lawyer connected to PAGCOR. He underscored that no murder is justified, and violence driven by criminal motives such as the drug trade is especially abhorrent.
“No murder is ever justified and one may take another’s life only when one’s own life or that of another is mortally threatened. And it is even worse when one orders the elimination of others so that no one else may share in the drug market!,” he said.
The Archbishop also addressed the rampant issues of adultery and corruption in the nation, criticizing those who used their immoral actions for personal gain. He called attention to how criminal activities were often perpetrated by individuals in positions of power who had exploited their illicit relationships and public office for personal advantage.
“A shocked and scandalized nation listened in disbelief as adulterous relations were bared, and parties to this egregious transgression of the institution of marriage made use of their immoral and unlawful links to commit crime and to act with impunity,” he said.
Villegas decried the misuse of public funds, particularly in the context of intelligence and confidential funds, calling out government officials for reckless spending and the refusal to provide an accounting for public money. The Archbishop framed these actions as theft and covetousness, demanding transparency and accountability from those entrusted with public resources.
“The refusal to explain is not only regrettable. It is condemnable, because it is tantamount to claiming that one can freely use public funds according to one’s will and pleasure – and thus appropriating for one’s purposes when one does not really own. This is stealing! And to ask for even more public funds for another round of reckless spending is to be covetous!,” he said.
The Archbishop closed his letter by recalling the Book of Revelation, offering a message of hope and renewal. He reassured the faithful that despite the evil and sin plaguing the nation, it is God’s Kingdom that will ultimately prevail.
With the return of Jesus Christ, who is “the Alpha and the Omega,” the Archbishop encouraged the faithful that “we must side with justice, champion truth, right wrongs even at the cost of personal peril”.
“Maranatha… Come, Lord!” Villegas concluded, reiterating the hope in Christ’s return and calling on all to be steadfast in their faith.
The pastoral letter, read in churches across the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, serves as both a spiritual reflection and a call to action, urging the faithful to remain hopeful yet vigilant, working toward a more just and moral society in the midst of the nation’s struggles.