Filipino bishops reject ‘moral indifference’ over Duterte impeachment

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino bishops called on Catholics to “combat moral indifference” over the delay in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, in a wide-ranging pastoral letter at the end of their 130th plenary assembly over the weekend.

The 47-year-old Duterte, daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, is set to be tried by the Senate for allegedly misusing public funds and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last year.

The 24-member Senate, however, is composed of a sizable number of Duterte allies, including the longtime aide of the Duterte patriarch, as well as the former police chief who implemented his bloody drug war. Political analysts have cited this as a reason why the Senate has refused to commence Duterte’s impeachment trial, even if it could have started as early as February 2025.

In a pastoral letter on Tuesday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said: “We are disturbed by the delay in the Senate in executing the constitutional demand for the impeachment process of the Vice President. We affirm that impeachment, when pursued with truth and justice, is a legitimate democratic mechanism for transparency and accountability in governance.”

“We call our faithful to combat moral indifference, listen to all sides with openness, and foster a culture of engaged citizenship rooted in our Christian faith,” the CBCP added.

The pastoral letter was signed by Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, bishop of Kalookan and president of the conference, who was also one of the staunchest critics of Duterte’s drug war.

The CBCP — composed of 87 active bishops, 38 retired members, and three priest-administrators — issued this pastoral letter on Tuesday after holding their 130th plenary assembly in the central Philippine province of Bohol.

The plenary assembly, which gathers the country’s bishops twice a year, is the CBCP’s highest decision-making body. It is during the plenary that the CBCP addresses a range of issues affecting not only the church but also the Catholic-majority nation.

In the same pastoral letter that addressed Duterte’s impeachment, the CBCP criticized the war in Gaza and voiced concern about the plight of workers in the Philippines.

The CBCP, addressing the war in Gaza, urged Catholics “to pray, fast, and offer sacrifices for peace in Gaza and throughout the world.” They said that “war spares no one and there is no victory in war,” with the innocent suffering the most.

Echoing Pope Leo XIV, the Filipino bishops said, “We condemn the weaponization of starvation. Let food and badly needed humanitarian aid benefit all.”

“We appeal for an immediate ceasefire so that serious negotiations can take place for a long-lasting solution to the problems of Palestine. We advocate for a sustained culture of peace rooted in justice, mercy, and our shared humanity, transcending race, religion, and politics,” the Filipino bishops added.

Palestinian estimates show that over 70,000 people have died in Gaza since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted in October 2023.

The CBCP president, in an individual capacity, has also frequently addressed the Gaza war in his homilies. On Christmas Eve 2024, the 66-year-old David even said that “if the Holy Family were to look for an inn today, they would not stay in Bethlehem but in the Gaza Strip and find a collapsed house in which to give birth to the Son of God.”

Tackling another issue in its pastoral letter, the CBCP said it was “aware of the plight of workers in our country,” whose salaries “are much below the living wages that enable workers to meet their needs and support their families.”
The minimum wage for workers in Metro Manila, the capital region, is around $12 a day.

“We recognize that justice begins at home. The Church must lead by example in ensuring fair salaries, benefits, and dignified treatment of workers in our church institutions,” the CBCP said.

“We appeal for dialogue among employees, employers, and the government to arrive at mutually acceptable solutions on just wages and security of tenure as the workers rightfully demand and the Church’s social teachings advocate,” it added.

The CBCP ended its pastoral letter by inviting clergymen, laypersons, workers, and political leaders “to join hands in building a just and peaceful society as we do justice, love goodness, and walk humbly with our God.”

“In this Jubilee Year, let us enkindle our hope, strengthen our solidarity, and remain vigilant in our stewardship of truth, justice, and the dignity of every human person. May Our Lady of Peace intercede and pray for us, to be instruments of God’s justice and love,” the Filipino bishops said.