CBCP News Online
Libmanan, Camarines Sur, March 28, 208—Bontoc-Lagawe Bishop Emeritus Francisco Claver, S.J said that people are apathetic and discriminating when it comes to corruption.
"We are apathetic, we do not complain," Claver said about corruption which normally people condone as standard operating procedure.
Speaking Wednesday before 2,000 prime movers of Basic Ecclesial Communities from the Prelature of Libmanan, Claver echoed the bishops' pastoral letter on the national situation and said "let's not just blame the government for all the ills that we have. Let's look at ourselves."
He recalled how people are discriminating when it comes to corruption involving their own relatives citing an event in Bontoc during the general assembly of small Christian communities.
"They were singing 'we look at the projects that are started by our barangay captain, and we see that they are substandard' but hastened to add 'but when they are our relatives who do these things, we look the other way,’” Claver said.
"When I heard that, I said, that's exactly what is wrong with us, we talk about corruption by others, but when our relatives, or we do it, we turn the other way around," the prelate lamented.
The prelate added that this was the reason why the bishops said "don't just look at the people who are doing all these corruption, look into yourselves, because what we have found out is: if the problem continues, it is because we turn our eyes away."
He called on people to be sensitive to reports about the country's classification as the region's most corrupt. "We do not react, and here we are, we are a Catholic nation, but we have no reactions," he added.
"And this is where the bishops are asking you: let's do something about it, but let's start with ourselves, let's not just blame others, let's start where we can," Bishop Claver appealed.
"We are apathetic, we do not complain," Claver said about corruption which normally people condone as standard operating procedure.
Speaking Wednesday before 2,000 prime movers of Basic Ecclesial Communities from the Prelature of Libmanan, Claver echoed the bishops' pastoral letter on the national situation and said "let's not just blame the government for all the ills that we have. Let's look at ourselves."
He recalled how people are discriminating when it comes to corruption involving their own relatives citing an event in Bontoc during the general assembly of small Christian communities.
"They were singing 'we look at the projects that are started by our barangay captain, and we see that they are substandard' but hastened to add 'but when they are our relatives who do these things, we look the other way,’” Claver said.
"When I heard that, I said, that's exactly what is wrong with us, we talk about corruption by others, but when our relatives, or we do it, we turn the other way around," the prelate lamented.
The prelate added that this was the reason why the bishops said "don't just look at the people who are doing all these corruption, look into yourselves, because what we have found out is: if the problem continues, it is because we turn our eyes away."
He called on people to be sensitive to reports about the country's classification as the region's most corrupt. "We do not react, and here we are, we are a Catholic nation, but we have no reactions," he added.
"And this is where the bishops are asking you: let's do something about it, but let's start with ourselves, let's not just blame others, let's start where we can," Bishop Claver appealed.
