Senatorial candidates expressed hopes on Easter Sunday that the nation will finally be free from sufferings and achieve a just society.

Reelectionist Senator Leila de Lima, in her Easter message, said she hopes that the celebration of Easter would remind Filipinos to embody the teachings of Christ to help achieve a just society.

“Nawa’y lagi nating isabuhay ang aral ni Hesukristo: ang paninindigan sa tama at makatarungan, pagmamahal sa kapwa at pananampalataya sa Maykapal (May we live by the teachings of Jesus: to stand by the truth and just, love for fellowmen and faith in God),” De Lima said.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, also a reelectionist, hopes that "the resurrection of Jesus inspires us as we continue to recover from the pandemic."

She encouraged the nation to draw strength from the hope the trials of Christ brings.

"Amidst the suffering and sacrifice, let us trust that our Savior will not forsake us. Most especially our fellow Filipinos who have also been hit by typhoons and other calamities in recent days," Hontiveros said.

"So with our firm belief and faith, let us pray that we will be finally free from hardships and sufferings. Let us also pray for a healthier and more prosperous country," the lawmaker added.

Senatorial aspirant and human rights lawyer Jose Manuel ‘Chel' Diokno, for his part, talked about the campaign for the May 2022 elections, saying the people's love for each other and for the nation is now being felt.

He likens their campaign as a movement rooted in the people, just like what Pope Francis calls "a politics rooted in people."

"When we started this campaign, we had no idea that we would be a part of what Pope Francis calls 'a politics rooted in the people.' Yet that is exactly what is happening. The people—specially our youth—have taken over this campaign and turned it into a movement. It’s no longer about the candidates—it’s all about hope and love of country," Diokno said.

Diokno said the kind of campaigning—where volunteers spend their time and own money in making tarps, printing their own flyers, creating witty placards and murals, attending rallies, standing for hours in the rain despite hunger and thirst, and going house to house—is "totally unexpected and quite unprecedented."

"That is what is confounding those who equate political campaigns with gold, fake news, and command votes. As my father put it, 'in your calculus of power you have forgotten one vital element: the greatness of the Filipino soul. Once that power is aroused, nothing can or will stop it.' They are resorting to the dirtiest of tactics because they see what is happening, they sense their impending doom, and they are afraid," Diokno said.

"Gising na po ang Pilipinas. Ramdam na ramdam ng bansa ang inyong pagmamahal – hindi lang sa isa’t isa kundi sa Inang Bayan. Happy Easter po sa ating lahat (The Philippines is awake. Your love is now felt by the country, not just to each other but to the nation. Happy Easter to all of us)," he added.

De Lima, Hontiveros, and Diokno are running under the ticket of Vice President Leni Robredo.