September 17, 2026 l Manila Bulletin
The Philippines proudly describes itself as the largest Christian nation in Asia. Nearly eight in ten Filipinos identify as Roman Catholic, while more than nine in ten identify as Christian.
Yet an uncomfortable question demands an answer: If we are such a religious people, why are we perceived as so corrupt?
The latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of Transparency International provides a disturbing backdrop. In 2025, the Philippines scored only 32 out of 100 and ranked 120th among 182 countries, down from 33 in 2024 and 34 in 2023. For years, we have stubbornly remained in the low 30s. This is no temporary setback but a persistent governance problem.
In one of the harshest passages in the Gospel, Christ rebukes the scribes and Pharisees as “whitewashed tombs”—appearing righteous outwardly but inwardly filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
We attend Mass, organize prayer rallies and begin government ceremonies with prayers. Politicians invoke God, seek blessings from religious leaders and issue solemn Holy Week messages about sacrifice and service.
And yet corruption persists.
The problem is obviously not Christianity. Rather, religious practice has not sufficiently translated into civic morality. We condemn stealing from another person yet become strangely tolerant of stealing from government. We consider dishonesty in private life sinful while accepting kickbacks, padded contracts, political patronage and misuse of public funds as simply “how the system works.”
When corruption becomes normal
Corrupt people exist everywhere. The greater danger comes when society stops being shocked by corruption.
A December 2025 Pulse Asia survey found Filipinos almost evenly divided on whether corruption is a normal part of Philippine politics: 41 percent agreed and 43 percent disagreed. That so many can contemplate corruption as normal should alarm us.
Scandals erupt. Congressional investigations follow. Social media explodes. Then another controversy arrives.
The Philippines cannot pray its way out of corruption while leaving institutions vulnerable to it.
Corruption is not abstract. Money diverted from flood control may mean families losing their homes. Money stolen from hospitals means medicine unavailable to patients. Funds diverted from classrooms steal opportunities from children. Corruption has victims. They simply do not always know who robbed them.
Stay awake—and vote
Christ repeatedly tells his followers in the Gospel to stay awake. For Filipinos, staying awake must extend beyond indignation. It must eventually find expression in the ballot.
We cannot complain about corruption and then vote according to surname, celebrity, political loyalty, cash assistance or patronage.
This is particularly important among economically vulnerable C and D voters, where patronage politics can flourish. But blaming the poor misses the point. A family struggling to survive cannot be faulted for accepting legitimate government assistance.
Ayuda itself is not wrong. Government has a responsibility to assist citizens in distress. What is wrong is transforming assistance from a right of citizenship into a personal favor from a politician.
Taxpayers—not politicians—pay for ayuda.
A scholarship should not create political debt. Medical assistance should not purchase a vote. Food packs should not require loyalty to a political dynasty. Public money belongs to the people.
This simple truth should become part of civic education. Churches, schools, civil society, business organizations and responsible media all have a role.
Voters should ask harder questions: Who performed in office? Who protected public money? Who can account for government funds? Who possesses competence beyond a famous surname? And who appears mainly before elections bearing envelopes and promises?
Breaking the cycle
Staying awake also means refusing to let political loyalty overwhelm moral judgment. Corruption committed by someone we oppose does not become acceptable when committed by someone we support.
We also need institutions stronger than personalities: independent auditing and prosecution, transparent procurement, accountable political financing, protection for whistleblowers and journalists, and a professional bureaucracy.
Eventually, we must confront political dynasties and the enormous cost of elections. When fortunes are spent obtaining political power, the temptation to recover those investments through patronage and government contracts becomes difficult to ignore.
We cannot condemn vote buying while selling our votes. We cannot criticize political dynasties while repeatedly electing them because their surnames are familiar.
Governance ultimately reflects not only those who govern but also what the governed reward, excuse and forget.
From the pews to the polls
The true measure of a Christian nation should not be the number of churches it builds, processions it holds or prayers its politicians recite.
It should be how seriously it takes the commandment against stealing, how it treats the poor, and whether those entrusted with authority understand that public office is stewardship rather than entitlement.
The scribes and Pharisees were not condemned because they lacked religion. They had plenty of it. Their failure was the distance between the righteousness they displayed and the lives they lived.
Our corruption ranking of 120th is therefore more than an international statistic. It is a mirror.
Perhaps the answer lies in connecting two important institutions in Filipino life: the pew and the polling booth. Faith should form conscience. Conscience should guide citizenship. And citizenship should determine the ballot.
Outrage is not enough. Prayer is not enough. Social-media commentary is not enough.
We must stay awake. We must educate. And when election day comes, we must vote as if good governance depends on it—because it does.
***The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX. For comments, email benel_dba@yahoo.com. Photo is from Pinterest.