Senator-elect Alan Peter Cayetano said the country needs a “strong independent Senate” that will help the administration fulfill its role, but will also call it out when the state veers away from its mandate.
Meanwhile, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go urged fellow senators to work together and continue serving the interest of the Filipino people by pushing people-centered legislations.
Cayetano revealed that some senators who are vying for the Senate presidency have been calling him up apparently to get him on their side.
But he said those who are courting his support will have to deal with his strong stand on certain issues.
“To those who will run for Senate President… what I can say: I hate drugs. I hate e-sabong. I hate inefficiency in government. And I hate it when we seem helpless,” he said.
Cayetano said he would have wanted to yield his time to those running for Senate president but added it was not the time or place for them to speak.
Instead, he left them with this charge: “A strong independent Senate — (one) that will help Malacañang when it needs help but will also correct and fiscalize when they have to be told that something is wrong — is what our country needs now.”
Cayetano, who ran on a faith-based and values-oriented leadership platform, had consistently said he was willing to work with whoever wins the Presidency.
However, Cayetano said that he would not do so blindly.
“It means, we are aware of what we are entering. We should be open to all suggestions,” he said.
“Wherever I’m needed, I’ll help. if right, either I’ll be quiet or I’ll help. but if it’s wrong, I can guarantee our public that I will object to it,” he added.
In his message during the proclamation, Cayetano said his guiding principle is based on Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’”
“While the message is clear na maganda ang plano ng Diyos para sa atin, many forget that the devil also has plans for us – plans to steal, to kill, and to destroy,” he said, alluding to John 10:10 in the New Testament.
Cayetano said it is now up to all Filipinos to follow God’s plan for the country.
Go vowed to continue serving the interest of the Filipino people with the start of a new administration, encouraging his colleagues to work together to achieve the country’s goals.
“Regardless of majority or minority, I only have one interest and one “amo,” he said.
Go said his only boss is the Filipino people. He will fight for the interest of the Filipinos.
Asked if the Senate’s credibility will be harmed by the fact that some senators were family members, Go replied he respects the will of the Filipino people while believing that his fellow senators are individually competent regardless of their familial relationships.
Go remarked that despite the change in administration, he will continue to serve the Filipino people to the best of his ability.
When asked for his advice for the new senators, Go emphasized that all senators must be treated as equals as he urged them to work harmoniously in the Senate and to prioritize assisting Filipinos especially those who have been badly affected by the pandemic.
He also urged legislators to support and pursue policies that will provide a more comfortable life for all Filipinos in order to continue achieving the vision of the Duterte administration in the years to come.