Church bells toll in Central Luzon in protest against corruption in the Philippines

Church bells rang out across most of the 94 parishes in the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga, between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, as the Catholic Church joined growing calls for transparency and an end to corruption. - PDI/ANN

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO: Church bells rang out in nearly all 94 parishes in the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga, between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday (Sept 17), as the Catholic Church joined mounting calls for transparency and an end to corruption.

The symbolic protest was endorsed by Archbishop Florentino Lavarias, calling it “our pastoral support [to] the current clamour for transparency, accountability and justice regarding the graft and corruption surrounding flood control projects and other plunder cases,” according to Circular Letter No. 36-2025.