As the Senate presses on with its corruption probe into questionable government projects, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano urged churches to take a more active role in nation-building by helping address corruption and strengthening communities.
Speaking at the 43rd anniversary of the Mandaport Apostolic Pentecostals (MAP) on Sunday, Cayetano said the church must be visibly present in different sectors of society to stop immorality and corruption from thriving.
“Kung y’ung church ay nasa BIR, wala pong corruption sa BIR. Kung ang church po ay nasa pinakamalalaking negosyo sa ating bansa, ‘di walang negosyanteng nangongorrupt. Kung ang church po ay active, walang online gambling. Kung ang church po ay nasa DPWH, wala pong ghost projects,” he said.
Amid Senate investigations, senators confirmed that several projects under scrutiny showed signs of being “ghost” undertakings, prompting subpoenas for contractors who failed to appear in earlier hearings and warnings that repeated absences could lead to warrants of arrest.
In the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on September 1, Cayetano warned that double appropriations in the budget had become a yearly problem, a concern he also emphasized later in his Facebook live as part of a broader call for accountability.
“Sobra ang tolerance ng Pilipino kaya kahit y’ung bawal, nagiging OK na lang. Tapos nagiging sugapa o garapal na. Kailangan meron mga bagay na hindi natin umpisahan man lang na ito-tolerate,” he said.
He also reminded his audience that doing the right thing matters even without recognition. “What’s important is you did your part. Why? Kasi God sees you. Other people might not see you, but God sees you,” he said.
Cayetano described the church as a “spiritual government” that should exercise authority in communities.
“Ipakita niyo po sa akin na may sampung Christian sa bawat ahensya ng gobyerno [at] ngayon pa lang sasabihin ko sa inyo, may pag-asa at panalo na tayo,” he said.
He also urged believers to become “ambassadors of Christ” and remain committed to spreading influence across all institutions.
“Make it a commitment that tayo sa body of Christ, we will be everywhere. Kasi y’an po ang goal ng ating Panginoon. To go, to occupy. The Church is here. The Church is alive,” he said. ###
