Former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday said there is a need for real transformation in the government in order to rid it of corruption.
During a webinar hosted by the Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM) on May 28, Cayetano lamented the corruption that continues to plague public service and the lack of transformation in the enforcement of the law.
“I really believe that the role of government is not being fulfilled,” he said. “Nagkaroon po ng paghihigpit sa law enforcement. Pero wala pong transformation.”
(We became strict in law enforcement, but there’s no real transformation.)
“Baka 15 percent ng pera ng gobyerno ngayon napupunta sa corruption. Di lang napapansin kasi maganda takbo ng ekonomiya o kaya dahil ang Pangulo natin ay vocal against corruption. But it doesn’t mean it’s not there,” he added.
(I think around 15 percent of the government’s funds goes to corruption. Most of us don’t notice because the economy has been doing well and our President is vocal against corruption. But it doesn’t mean it’s not there.)
The lawmaker said corruption continues to take away millions of pesos from public coffers — money, he added, that could have been used to fund the government’s cash aid programs.
“Tatlong dies mil na ayuda halos ang maibibigay natin kung walang corruption sa ating bansa,” Cayetano said.
(We could be distributing three tranches of P10,000 cash aid right now if corruption did not exist in this country.)
In early February, Cayetano and his allies filed the 10K Ayuda Bill, aiming to distribute P10,000 to every Filipino family to boost household consumption and stimulate the economy.
While the proposed measure was consolidated into the Bayanihan 3 bill, the House economic affairs and social services committees did not adopt the provision on the distribution of P10,000 per household.
The 10k Ayuda Bill inspired the “Sampung Libong Pag-Asa” program, a relief initiative led by Cayetano and his allies in the House of Representatives.
To date, the group has distributed cash aid to the poorest of the poor in Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Camarines Sur, Caloocan City, Marikina City, Quezon City, Taguig City, Mandaluyong City, Pateros, Laguna, Rizal, and Leyte.
Cayetano and his allies in Bulacan distributed cash aid to around 500 individuals in Bulacan on Friday.
“Iba ang ekonomiya ng ating Panginoon. Sa ating ekonomiya ng Panginoon, giving is a blessing. Sa normal na ekonomiya, walang magsasabing ekonomista na mamigay ka nang mamigay,” Cayetano said. “Passion and compassion are not part of capitalism.”
(The Lord’s economics is different. In His economics, giving is a blessing. In normal economics, no economist would tell you to give your all. Passion and compassion are not part of capitalism.)
The former Speaker urged the public to view the ongoing pandemic as an opportunity to reflect on leadership and compassion.
“The Lord is raising up and training a very powerful breed of leaders ngayong may COVID-19,” Cayetano said.
“Dahil po sa COVID-19, hinuhubog ng Panginoon ang mga leaders na ito how to be innovative, how to be creative, how to be sensitive, how to be passionate, all of the characteristics of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he added.
(The Lord is raising up and training a very powerful breed of leaders in the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lord is teaching our leaders on how to be innovative, how to be creative, how to be sensitive, how to be passionate, all of the characteristics of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.) ####
