Lacson: ‘Repentance’ alone won’t eliminate corruption

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday warned that mere “repentance,” without corresponding corrective action, is not enough to cleanse public officials of corruption or wrongdoing.

Lacson agreed with former Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano, who earlier pushed back against comments made by his brother, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, suggesting that national repentance is what matters most amid widespread wrongdoing.

"I agree and associate myself with Taguig City ex-Mayor Lino Cayetano in this regard," Lacson posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, sharing a quote card of the former mayor’s remarks.

“I know government officials who committed sins by stealing public funds, repented, stole again and repented again a number of times. In the meantime, people suffer from their belief that absolution comes after repentance,” Lacson added.

Lacson, a staunch anti-corruption advocate throughout his decades-long public service career, emphasized that repentance without accountability only perpetuates a cycle of impunity, harming the very people public servants are supposed to serve.

The controversy stemmed from Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s Facebook Live broadcast last Sunday, where he claimed that all Filipinos are collectively guilty of various forms of wrongdoing — from vote-buying to lying — and asserted that what matters most is repentance.

“As a people, we’re all guilty... what’s important is repentance,” the senator said.

However, his brother, former Mayor Lino Cayetano, swiftly rebutted the statement, branding it as a "dangerous narrative" often used by traditional politicians.

“Hindi likas ang magnakaw, bumili ng boto, magsinungaling, at hindi din solusyon at absolusyon ang pag 'repent' lamang (It is not in Filipinos' nature to steal, buy votes, or lie. Neither is the solution in mere ‘repentance’),” he said. 

“Let’s not normalize corruption. Let’s fight it!” he added.

Lacson’s remarks add weight to a growing sentiment among reform-minded officials and the public that moral platitudes must be backed by real consequences. The former Philippine National Police chief turned senator has long been vocal about institutional reforms and has consistently called for greater transparency, accountability, and the strict enforcement of anti-graft laws.