SENATE PRESIDENT ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:00:04) For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope in a future.
(0:00:20) Yan po ang na sa Jeremiah 29:11, na naging isa sa core na paniniwala ng aking pagkatao at pananampalataya. Gusto ko po si propetang Jeremiah dahil siya po ay nirerespeto at pinaniniwalaan ng Muslim, Hudyo, at Kristyano. Sa mundo ngayon na in-crisis, buong mundo na in-crisis because of the US-Iran-Israel war.
(0:00:49) Napakahirap minsan na paniwalaan na may magandang plano, but I’m always reminded that though people may be liars, God never lies. Though we may be weak [but] he is strong. But we are reminded that if He has a plan, we have to do the right thing. So let me be explicit.
(0:01:13) Our job together, my job, is to serve you, dear Senators, to serve this nation, to serve God above all, and to do what is right. Napakahirap kung tutuusin po, ang dinadaanan ng henerasyon na ‘to. Kagabi po, kausap ko po ang pamangkin ni Senator Jinggoy, anak po ni Jackie, si Manu.
(0:01:40) Nakita po niya ako ng 2006 or 2007 or 2008 noong binisita ko ang kaniyang lolo. At sabi ko sa kaniya, grabe pala ang pinagdaanan ng generation niyo. During Duterte’s time, depending on your lens, it was a human rights crisis. If you’re pro-Duterte, it’s a crisis of drugs.
(0:02:05) Where illegal drugs did not only steal lives, did not only steal dreams, but it wrecked communities, it wrecked our government. Of course, if you are from the anti-Duterte lens, the human rights crisis was in the extrajudicial killings. But after enjoying almost nine years of unprecedented economic prosperity, during the Aquino time to the Duterte time, inabot po tayo ng pandemic. So from the human rights crisis to a health pandemic crisis. Naglilift pa lang ang COVID, nangyari na po ang Ukraine-Russia conflict. Sa mundo ng mga kabataan na ‘to ay naniniwalang hindi na posible ang World War III ay suddenly may major conflict in the West.
(0:03:03) And then you fast forward. The crisis of the Philippines when it comes to corruption and flood control. The biggest corruption scandal in our country. Hindi pa po tapos yan, nangyari [na] ang Iran-US-Israel.
(0:03:26) And then, our young people have to face the prospect of a changing world through AI. And while we are worrying, leaders around the world in Canada, India, US, Australia are excited of AI. They said that it will bring in a new wave of millionaires, billionaires. It will bring in high-quality jobs. Pero tayo po ba’y naghahanda na?
(0:03:55) We might not feel the crisis here in the session hall. But our people, may it be the grab drivers, the tricycle drivers, jeepney drivers, yung maliliit na kalendria, yung mga beneficiaries ng 4Ps, ramdam na ramdam na nila. So nung kinamayan po ako nung former Senate President Zubiri, sabi niya, hindi siya naiinggit sa trabaho dahil mahirap po ito.
(0:04:19) But I take a step forward, my dear colleagues, and offer myself to serve you. Just as Senate President Sotto said, that he is here to serve everyone, not only the majority, not only the minority. I am here to respect the president, the Office of the President, the Vice-President, the Office of the Vice-President, the House of Representatives, and each one of you. In every crisis, there are big winners and there are big losers. Unfortunately, it is the poorest of the poor who is always the losers. So I urge all of you, let’s unite, let’s discuss. Before us might be the impeachment, let me make it very clear. May mga lumabas sa news and hindi ko kayo sinisisi kung sinasabi niyo sa news na ang pagpalit ng leadership ay tungkol sa impeachment, hindi po.
(0:05:14) The impeachment is enshrined in the Constitution. The Bible says the truth shall set us free.
(0:05:29) We want to be free from poverty. We want to be free from corruption. We want to be free from a government that is busy fighting its own people or the people fighting each other. Hindi ito facebook, hindi ito social media na pwedeng bawat minuto may nagbabanatan. In real life, in the non-digital life, we have to be here for each other.
(0:05:56) It doesn’t mean anything if we say we are devout Muslims or we’re devout Catholics or devout evangelicals if we cannot love each other. In the Senate, we might not like each other, but I think we can work [with] each other and we can love each other. So let me make it clear. The impeachment will be much, much more than dismissing a complaint because of political affiliation. And it also much, much more than convicting someone without evidence. Parehong hindi pwede yun. Kailangan guided tayo by the truth. Guided by evidence. But…
(0:06:38) The process is as important as the result. Hindi natin pwedeng sabihin [na] she or he will make a bad President. Or wala na tayong maaasahan jaan sa Presidente [or] wala na tayong maaasahan jaan sa Vice-President, impeach nalang natin. Hindi po. The Senate is also on trial. So, dear colleagues, as we ask God to guide us and help us, I’d like to thank all of you who supported me today. I will do my job.
(0:07:06) But I’d also like to reach out to all my colleagues here today, ngayon lang naman po tayo na may divisions eh dahil mabigat ang politika. Pero actually we’ve worked together and if we could only go back 20 years, and then go back now, can we go back, can we go to 20 years from now, and let me tell you what I told the group last night, noong nag meeting kami, basta’t lahat ng gagawin natin, wag tayong magsisisi, wag tayong gagawa na pagsisisihan natin, so feel free to call me out if you think mali ang direksyon. So dear colleagues, again, thank you. God bless you. Maraming maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Session is suspended for a minute.
