Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has strongly criticized the blatant display of wealth by children of politicians, highlighting the stark contrast with the widespread hunger among ordinary Filipinos. During his homily on the Feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, the Cardinal called out the obscene nature of flaunting extravagance while many struggle to eat.
“It is obscene when the children of politicians post on social media a dinner bill amounting to ₱760,000 for just four people—an amount that even a worker cannot earn in three years,” David emphasized, urging society to reflect on this glaring injustice.
When What Should Be Shameful Is Shamelessly Flaunted
The Cardinal also referenced a recent interview involving journalists Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao with the so-called “contractor couple,” Curlee and Sarah Discaya. He pointed out how they boasted about their mansion and an enormous garage filled with luxury cars, allegedly funded by contracts from the Department of Public Works and Highways.
“In Tagalog we use the word mahalay (obscene) when people expose in public what is meant to be hidden—the private parts of the body or private acts in the bedroom. It is obscene when what should be shameful is shamelessly flaunted, when what ought to be hidden is displayed with pride,” he said, condemning the pride taken in ill-gotten wealth.
Obscene Wealth from Corruption Celebrated
Cardinal David further stressed that “it is obscene when sudden wealth from corruption is paraded as a model of success, when ill-gotten gain is celebrated as cleverness.” He lamented the normalization of corruption and the dangerous message it sends to society.
Flood Control Anomalies and Online Gambling Issues
The Cardinal contrasted the harsh treatment of impoverished citizens with the leniency shown towards government corruption. He pointed out the irony of a poor father being jailed for playing a small street gambling game, while no charges have been filed against those involved in alleged flood-control project anomalies.
“It is obscene when a poor father of six is arrested and jailed for allegedly tossing coins in a street-side game of ‘cara y cruz,’ while no one is arrested, jailed, or charged for squandering billions of pesos of public funds on ghost flood-control projects,” David remarked.
He also condemned the legalization and widespread accessibility of online gambling, which he said is now available 24/7 on every cellphone, with the government acting as its overseer. “It is obscene when killing itself is glorified, and when lawmakers and law enforcers themselves trample on the very laws they are supposed to uphold,” he added.
Call to Awaken Society’s Conscience
In conclusion, Cardinal David urged the faithful to recognize and react to these societal obscenities. “We must allow ourselves to be shocked and sickened by such obscenity so that we may be shaken awake, so that we may recover our sense of dignity, decency, and humanity in a society corroded by corruption,” he said.
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