LINGAYEN-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas has issued a pastoral guide calling on lawmakers to uphold conscience, transparency, and moral responsibility as Congress deliberates on the proposed 2026 national budget.

In a statement released by the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist on December 17, 2025, Villegas emphasized that the national budget is more than a financial document, describing it as a “moral blueprint” that reflects the nation’s priorities and directly impacts the lives of the poor.

He warned that corruption masked as charity harms the poor, trapping them in political dependence instead of self-sufficiency. He assailed politically branded public aid as a violation of human dignity that debases genuine charity.

He also raised concerns over substandard public infrastructure, linking poorly built roads, bridges, and buildings to corruption and the misuse of discretionary powers. According to Villegas, sacrificing safety and quality for personal gain is a betrayal of public trust and endangers innocent lives.

The pastoral guide further condemned what he described as a persistent “pork barrel culture” in government, calling it a sign of moral decay that erodes the integrity and humanity of legislators. He appealed directly to members of Congress not to allow greed and the pursuit of wealth to overshadow their duty to serve the people.

Villegas closed the pastoral letter with a call to conscience and divine justice, urging leaders to heed the poor’s cries beyond statistics, citing Scripture to warn public officials that oppressing the poor is a grave sin answerable before God.

The archbishop called on the faithful to pray and advocate for a national budget rooted in integrity, transparency, and genuine concern for the marginalized, warning that all actions will ultimately face divine reckoning. (Eva Visperas)