Senator Alan Peter Cayetano dropped a bold idea over the weekend — a snap election. Not just for one office, but for the President, Vice President, the Senate, and Congress. His radical twist? No incumbents would be allowed to run for one cycle.
Why? Because, according to him, Filipinos have lost trust in their leaders.
On Facebook, Cayetano admitted what many people feel but few politicians say out loud:
“Now more than ever in our history, politicians are suspects. People have lost trust in government and government officials. Honestly, who can blame them?”
Then he threw the question out there:
“What if we all just resign and allow a Snap Election? No drama. No excuses. No recycling. Just a clean slate for the Filipino people.”
Cayetano stressed that governors, mayors, and barangay chairpersons would remain in place since they are “generally trusted.” The national government bureaucracy, he added, would also keep running.
The senator’s proposal comes at a tense moment. Investigations are piling up over alleged corruption in flood control projects — anomalies that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. himself called “disturbing,” after revealing that 20% of the P545-billion budget went to only 15 contractors.
Marcos has vowed to hold those responsible accountable, prompting probes in both chambers of Congress and the creation of an Independent Commission for Infrastructure to investigate the irregularities.
For Cayetano, however, the problem goes deeper than investigations. He said the nation needs a fresh beginning, one rooted in honesty and humility.
“If we truly serve the people, starting over shouldn’t scare us. Real change begins with radical honesty — and the courage to step aside when it’s time.”
He ended his statement with a challenge — not just to his fellow politicians, but to the country:
“We should all just consider this ‘What If’… and pray about it.”
