Cayetano backs Church’s call for justice, accountability amid corruption crisis

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Sunday expressed solidarity with the Catholic Church in the Philippines, echoing its call for both government and society to move beyond “mere survival politics” and to demand justice, transparency, and accountability.

This came after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a pastoral letter denouncing widespread corruption in flood-control projects, calling it a “moral and national crisis.”

“Ang crisis natin ngayon really is a crisis of values, of character, of who we are as a people,” Cayetano said, echoing the church’s reflection on the country’s entrenched cycle of corruption.

Calling for accountability and repentance so the cycle of corruption stops, the senator has repeatedly said this week: “Kung ang sorry ay ‘Sorry, nahuli kami,’ that’s not enough. Y’ung repentance that leads to reformation and reforms should be there.”

Cayetano is currently involved in national transformation efforts focused on strengthening the foundations of seven key cultural pillars: family, business, church, government, health, education, and media.

He emphasized this is not about pursuing mere band-aid solutions, but strategies based on Biblical principles for real and lasting change. This includes consistently teaching values and strengthening the character of Filipinos, especially the youth.

This is reflected in Cayetano’s priority measures. When he served as House Speaker during the 18th Congress, he filed the “Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education Act” as House Bill No. 1.

Now enacted as Republic Act No. 11476, the law institutionalized GMRC and Values Education as core subjects in the K-12 curriculum for Grades 1 to 10, with equal time allotment as other major subjects.

In the 19th and 20th Congress, Cayetano has continued to advocate for values formation—not just in schools but also within government offices, with participation from private institutions encouraged.

In the 19th Congress, he filed the “National Values, Etiquette, and Moral Uprightness Act” (Senate Bill No. 61). In the current 20th Congress, he has proposed the “Filipino Identity in Values Act” (Senate Bill No. 101).

Both bills aim to institutionalize a national program on values formation, etiquette, and civic responsibility, through the creation of a Commission on Filipino Values and an Inter-Faith Council to lead multi-sectoral implementation.

“Our development must be anchored in our cherished core values: faith in God, bayanihan, and the honor and respect we give to our elders and family,” Cayetano wrote in SB No. 101’s explanatory note.

These values are also reflected in his team’s own commitment to transformation, grounded in the core values of his organization.

As a senator, Cayetano upholds three guiding principles. “The mission and vision is very simple: honor God, build communities, transform the nation,” he said.

These values shape every aspect of his work, from crafting legislation and conducting hearings to collaborating with fellow lawmakers, engaging with local communities, and supporting farmers, fisherfolk, and other marginalized groups. ###