Cebu’s Catholic archbishop appealed for equal justice and impartial investigations Tuesday as political tensions intensified over the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte and allegations involving a multibillion-peso flood-control scandal.
In a pastoral appeal addressed to Filipinos, Archbishop Alberto Uy stressed that every accused person deserved fairness and due process, but warned public trust weakens when justice appears selective or unevenly enforced against political rivals and allies.
“The tension arises when people begin to feel that justice is not being applied equally,” Uy said, referring to public questions surrounding the pace of investigations into alleged flood-control anomalies.
He said some ask why certain personalities are pursued quickly while others, especially those allegedly involved in the flood-control anomalies, seem not to be investigated with the same urgency.
“Whether these perceptions are accurate or not, our people need reassurance that justice is fair, impartial, and not selective,” Uy said.
The archbishop appealed directly to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., government leaders and investigative agencies to pursue the flood-control investigation “seriously, sincerely, and without favoritism” if they hoped to restore public confidence.
He also called on fellow bishops within the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines to speak as strongly against corruption allegations as they had in urging the Senate to convene an impeachment court promptly.
The episcopal conference earlier appealed for the Senate to proceed with constitutional impeachment processes involving Duterte, while separately condemning alleged corruption connected to flood-control projects in a previous statement issued last year.
“We should be just as strong in urging a swift and credible investigation into the flood-control anomalies as we are in calling for the proper constitutional process regarding the impeachment case,” Uy said.
He also warned the public against political fanaticism, hatred and disinformation, saying growing divisions were emotionally burdening many citizens struggling to determine whom to trust.
“This is not the time for blind loyalty to politicians,” Uy said. “This is the time to love our country honestly, prayerfully, and responsibly.”
