Archbishop Villegas Urges Filipinos to Push for Political Change Amid Senate Chaos
Amid the chaos seen in the Senate in recent days, a former president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called on the people on Thursday, May 14, 2026, to push for the needed political change instead of becoming 'weary and cynical.'
In a pastoral letter, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said it is imperative for Filipinos to provide constant pressure for change in the country's political landscape but without any violence.
'Use all the legal means to pressure for political change. True reform requires not only prayer and protest but perseverance,' said Villegas.
'We must apply constant moral pressure, not through violence or coercion, but through conscience and conviction. Evil persists not because it is strong, but because good people stop pushing,' he added.
This, the archbishop said, means holding several protest actions against lies and corruption.
'In today's rampant deceit and abuse of power, neutrality has become a mask for cowardice. Silence in the face of lies is moral surrender. Reject corruption and never regard it as a normal part of daily life,' said Villegas.
He also called on the public to reject corrupt officials in the next national and local polls in May 2028.
'Reject the corrupt in the next elections. Review and evaluate their records of public service. Your vote is your power. Use it to the maximum. The justice system can punish the corrupt during and after their tenure. We can also punish the corrupt by defeating them in the ballot,' said Villegas.
Last Monday, May 11, Alan Peter Cayetano was elected as Senate President after getting 13 votes, taking the post from Senator Tito Sotto.
Cayetano's rise to power comes as the Senate is expecting the approval of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte by the House of Representatives.
The change in leadership also saw the resurfacing of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who was immediately placed under the protective custody of the Senate.
According to Villegas, the sudden leadership change that saw Cayetano being elected as the new Senate President is simply lamentable.
He said it is unbelievable that such a thing can happen in the Senate, wherein the men and women are called 'honorable' but are behind the 'shameless exercise of political power.'
'It is obscene. It is unbelievable that men and women called 'honorable' could do such a brazen exercise of power,' said Villegas.
'It is confusing. It is unbelievable. It is pathetic. It is disgusting. It is shameless. How did we reach this low level of public service?' he added.
The prelate said one cannot help but see the recent coup in the Senate as a way to delay the forthcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
'The sudden change in the leadership of the Senate, mandated by law to try the impeachment case, is like a graffiti on the wall showing another devious plan to delay the trial. It was not for the country but for somebody,' said Villegas.
Worse, he said, the new Senate leadership has allowed the Upper House to be a tool for Dela Rosa to evade arrest despite a valid arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
'The Senate is now used as a shield for a suspect-at-large with a valid warrant of arrest from a lawful court,' said Villegas.
