Card. Tagle tells countrymen to listen to conscience

August 26, 2013 - A Filipino cardinal urged his countrymen on Monday to listen to the voice of their conscience, as tens of thousands protested in a Manila park, demanding the scrapping of a corruption-tainted development fund that allows lawmakers to allocate government money for projects in their districts. A government audit released Aug. 16 found that $141 million of the fund allocated over three years under the previous administration was released to questionable aid groups and ghost projects. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila told the cheering crowd that all Filipinos should act in an honorable way. “Let us also listen to the voice of God, especially in our conscience,'' the cardinal said urging “everyone to see, listen and love the poor.” The rally coincides with National Heroes Day. The scandal centered on a powerful businesswoman who allegedly collaborated with lawmakers in channeling some of the funds. She has gone into hiding after she was charged with illegal detention of a whistle-blower. Local media reports of her lavish lifestyle have angered many ordinary taxpayers in the Southeast Asian country where nearly 28 percent of the 97 million people live on a little over a dollar a day. That prompted calls on social media for Monday's protest in Rizal Park, where more than 100,000 turned out including students, workers, priests and nuns. Police said about 70,000 protesters were at the rally's peak. (Source: AP)