Amid the flood of conflicting narratives and press releases surrounding the turbulent events in the Senate this week, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Saturday night called for a different kind of “PR”: prayer and reflection.
In a Facebook livestream on May 16, Cayetano said the public conversation on the Senate leadership change, the impeachment proceedings, and the alleged armed attack inside Senate premises had become clouded by narratives and counter-narratives.
“Parang bang rumble sa college na wala nang pakialam kung sino tama’t mali,” he lamented.
“If in the past few days we’ve seen public relations (PR) campaigns, ang PR campaign na akin pong pino-propose ay Prayer and Reflection campaign,” he said.
He urged Filipinos, including himself and other leaders, to “pray for truth and walk in the truth” and reflect on how the Senate could better respond to the problems facing ordinary citizens.
“If we do not start with the truth, we cannot address the problem,” he said.
Concern over direction
For one, Cayetano clarified that one of the real reasons behind the change in Senate leadership was not the impeachment case against the Vice President, as some have been speculating, but concern over the direction the chamber had been taking regarding the country’s many urgent problems.
He cited the need for proper attention and solutions on the flood control scandal, rising prices, the oil and energy crises, farmers’ productivity, education, corruption, and public trust in government, stressing that these concerns should remain at the center of the Senate’s work.
The Senate President also called for an impartial investigation into the May 13, 2026 shooting incident inside the Senate involving the Senate Office of the Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
But the senator said that he, too, will reflect on his first days as Senate President and on what the Senate must do in the coming days for every Filipino.
“Could I have done better? Did I do my best? Was I there for other people? Am I fully protecting the institution?” Cayetano said.
He said the Senate still has much work to do for the country, including finding ways to address the economic burden on Filipinos.
He again raised his proposal for all government departments to implement 10-percent savings, saying the government should first cut unnecessary expenses before considering new taxes.
Be kind to each other
The Senate President ended the livestream with an appeal for kindness despite political differences.
“Sana po, magkalaban man tayo sa politika, magkaiba man ang opinion natin, we can start looking at each other as lahat anak ng Diyos,” he said.
“Just because we have different ideas, we don’t have to call each other evil, or call each other names,” he added.
He reminded everyone that wrongdoing must be corrected without losing compassion for people.
“Yes, there is evil in our society, pero ang sabi nga, hate the sin but not the sinner,” he said.