“For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light.” (Luke 8:17)
As pastors, we speak not from partisan ambition but from conscience. We do not ask the Senate impeachment court to convict without proof, nor do we ask it to abandon due process. What we ask is that no shield of secrecy be used to withhold evidence that the law permits the court to examine. The search for truth is not persecution, and public office is not a private shelter from scrutiny.
The Constitution declares that “Public office is a public trust.” That principle means transparency and accountability are not burdens imposed upon public servants. They are obligations that accompany the people’s trust.
The court’s consideration of Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) reports, bank records, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) records, and other relevant financial documents is not a side issue. These records may bear directly on the court’s search for the truth and its determination of whether the constitutional standard of public accountability has been met. If evidence is lawfully available and materially relevant, it should be heard and weighed fairly, not obscured by delay or political pressure.
Philippine law recognizes that bank secrecy is not absolute. Republic Act No. 1405 expressly permits inquiry into bank deposits in cases of impeachment. Whether AMLC records and other confidential financial documents may likewise be examined under applicable law presents a legitimate legal question now before the court, one that should be resolved according to the Constitution, the law, and established jurisprudence. The impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona demonstrated that financial records may become material evidence in determining whether a public official has faithfully discharged the public trust.
We therefore call upon the impeachment court to exercise its constitutional duty with wisdom and courage: to hear relevant evidence fairly, to resolve legal questions faithfully, and to remember that no officeholder is beyond the reach of the Constitution.
Our prayer is simple: that truth be revealed, accountability be upheld, and justice be done without fear or favor. May every decision of the impeachment court strengthen, rather than diminish, the people’s confidence in the rule of law. May those entrusted with this solemn responsibility remember that while they render judgment before the nation, they also serve under the gaze of God, to whom every public servant is ultimately accountable.
“For everyone to whom much is given, much will be required.” (Luke 12:48)
Clergy for Good Governance
July 2026