A top Catholic Church official on Wednesday called for prayer and sobriety amid what he described as a “brewing political storm” in the Philippines.
Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, expressed concern that growing political tensions were diverting attention from the needs of the most vulnerable, especially the victims of recent typhoons.
He called on the faithful to pray for the nation’s leaders “so that sobriety may prevail in our land and that political issues and personal interests may not divide the nation.”
“It is our prayer that they may have the humility to listen to each other with respect and act together for the sake of the country,” Advincula said.
The cardinal also appealed to leaders from different sectors of society to work toward preventing the escalation of political and personal conflicts.
“Let us all pray for forgiveness and reconciliation, never doubting God’s grace and love for His people,” he added.
The archbishop’s call came amid ongoing verbal clashes between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Vice President Sara Duterte, as well as their supporters.
Marcos’ congressional allies have been investigating alleged corruption related to Duterte’s spending while serving as vice president and education secretary.
A separate scrutiny is also examining thousands of killings linked to the “war on drugs” during the presidency of Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte resigned from her cabinet post in June but remains vice president and has since become an outspoken critic of Marcos’ policies.
