THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) confirmed that the Archdiocesan Penitential Walk and Holy Mass held on October 25, 2025, concluded peacefully, with no untoward incidents or violence reported.
The DCPO said the event, organized by the Archdiocese of Davao as a city-wide prayer and act of repentance, was attended by more than 20,000 faithful from across Davao City and nearby areas, including priests, religious groups, parish organizations, schools, families, and civic movements.
A peaceful and prayerful gathering
This year’s Archdiocesan Penitential Walk, which began early in the morning, gathered participants from various parishes who walked from different starting points across the city before converging at San Pedro Square for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The event was held in solidarity with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which declared October as the National Day of Prayer and Public Repentance amid the nation’s growing concern over corruption and moral decay.
In Davao City, the Archdiocese extended the observance through the penitential walk, a symbolic act of humility and unity that Archbishop Romulo G. Valles, D.D. described as a way to “lift up to God the suffering and brokenness of the nation.”
Participants carried rosaries, banners, and candles while reciting prayers, reflecting the somber yet hopeful atmosphere of the event.
According to the DCPO, strict security measures were in place throughout the walk. Despite the massive turnout, the event remained orderly. DCPO officials commended the collaboration between the Church, local authorities, and volunteers, saying the activity showcased Davao’s culture of discipline and peaceful civic participation.
Valles: ‘We come not as protesters, but as people of faith’
In his homily during the Mass, Archbishop Valles made it clear that the gathering was not a political rally nor a protest but a spiritual act of repentance, solidarity, and hope.
“We come not as protesters. This is not a rally. This is not a march of anger. Rather, we come to the Church praying, crying out to God, and lifting our hearts to Him in hope,” Valles said, his voice resonating through the crowd.
The Archbishop reminded the faithful that every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and as such, corruption, whether in personal, social, or political life, is a betrayal of that divine identity.
“We are reminded that we are created in the image and likeness of God. And because of this, we must ask ourselves whether our actions, our society, and our systems still reflect that holy image of God,” he said. “This Penitential Walk calls us to recognize the grave reality of corruption that our country faces today. We do this not to condemn particular individuals, but to awaken our conscience, and that of the nation.”
Valles urged Filipinos to examine not only the corruption in government but also the everyday compromises people make that allow dishonesty to persist. He said true repentance begins in the heart and must be accompanied by courage and integrity in public life.
‘Make corruption shameful again’
Archbishop Valles’ most powerful message centered on restoring the moral shame once attached to corruption. He declared that corruption must once again be seen for what it is: a grave moral offense that steals from the poor and weakens the soul of the nation.
“We must make corruption shameful again. Ang pagpangawat makauulaw. It is a grave wrong,” he said. “Because of corruption, we see the painful consequences around us — students forced into shifting schedules because of the lack of school buildings, children suffering from malnutrition, the poor and sick struggling in hospitals that lack equipment and support, and flooding worsened by substandard infrastructure and ghost projects that never existed.”
He emphasized that these are not mere statistics but the real, visible effects of systemic theft and negligence.
“My dear brothers and sisters, corruption is not the will of God. There are funds. There are resources. But they are stolen. And because of this, many are hungry, many are sick, many are homeless, and many continue to suffer.”
The Archbishop’s statement resonated with current national concerns, especially as recent controversies surrounding flood control and infrastructure projects have reignited public outrage. In several regions, investigations have uncovered overpriced or substandard flood control systems, unfinished drainage projects, and irregularities in public bidding. These issues have left communities vulnerable to disasters while billions of pesos in public funds remain unaccounted for.
A nation’s wound
Archbishop Valles acknowledged that corruption has long been a wound in the Filipino soul — a problem that transcends administrations and political colors. Yet, he emphasized that this wound must be confronted through repentance, prayer, and concrete action.
“Corruption has seeped into generations and into our systems, where privilege often outweighs principle,” he said. “We must act to fight corruption, but that also means continuous prayer so that our actions may be guided by the Lord.”
He reiterated the pastoral appeal of the CBCP for transparent investigations, access to public records, and open accountability in government. He also called for the protection of whistleblowers and an end to any attempts to cover up investigations.
“May this prayerful Catholic movement lead us to choose what is good, what is just, and what is right in the eyes of God,” he said. “As we celebrate this Holy Mass, may our faith be strengthened, and may our land be healed. May the Lord touch our hearts and the hearts of our leaders with courage, honesty, and compassion.”
Faith as resistance
The Archdiocesan Penitential Walk, while deeply spiritual, has become a form of peaceful resistance — a moral stand by the faithful who seek to reclaim the country’s moral integrity. Each step taken was both a symbol of remorse and renewal, an act of reclaiming dignity in a system that many believe has been corroded by greed and indifference.
In his concluding message, Archbishop Valles urged Dabawenyos to remain steadfast in their faith and integrity.
“We walk today not out of anger, but out of hope,” he said. “We walk for our children, for our leaders, and for our land. Corruption is not the will of God — it is a sin against our people and our future. And so, we must walk, pray, and act until our nation is healed.”
Recently, the Philippine government unveiled a new prison facility in metropolitan Manila to house powerful legislators and public works officials implicated in a sprawling corruption scandal tied to flood control projects worth more than P545 billion or US$9.5 billion since 2022.
A Senate inquiry revealed that many flood-control and infrastructure contracts had been deliberately substandard or overpriced in order to generate “kickbacks” of at least 20 percent to lawmakers and officials. The scandal implicates large swathes of the political class, with contract-awarding tightly linked to influential legislators.
Notable politicians mentioned in these investigations include Zaldy Co of Ako Bicol party-list, who has been connected to multiple budget insertions and large-scale flood-control contracts; and Francis Escudero, former Senate President, who testified that he allegedly received kickbacks tied to a flood-control project.
In turn, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration has responded by creating an independent panel, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICC), to investigate the last decade’s worth of infrastructure and flood-control anomalies. DEF