LAST WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5, 2025, was a sad day for Davaoeños and all other Filipinos who believe in Vice President Sara Duterte. What with her lightning-quick impeachment by the Lower House in the afternoon of that day.
While personally we are not in accord with all the actions and decisions of VP Sara we believe that her alleged “sins” as supposedly unearthed by the investigations of Congress, were not grievous enough and the supposed evidence is far from sufficient to merit an impeachment. But then, again, the 215 or so Congressmen who signed the impeachment think they have the “beef” on the Davaoeno Vice President. And banking on the pretext that they are doing a Constitutionally-mandated duty they voted for the impeachment.
Of course, our take on the matter is that the timing of the impeachment could be a counter-strategy to what the administration-peopled House of Representatives perceived as the strategy adopted by VP Sara’s camp to “kill” the impeach move and at the same time continue its offensive against the administration led by President Marcos, Jr.
In fact, if the Filipinos can recall there were attempts to waylay the people from thinking the VP had indeed committed serious violations on her mandate as the second highest official of the land. One of these schemes is the allegation that the President signed a corrupt General Appropriations Act where the basis of the enrolled bill was the Bicameral Committee report with so many blank spaces intended for the amount of the expenditure items.
Apparently it could be the “final straw that breaks the camel’s back,” so to say. And why do we think so? It is because it was after the Duterte camp released to the public the alleged manipulation of the figures in the enrolled national budget bill that changed the position of the President on the impeachment move that earlier he wished the House members to forego. Then as a consequence of the President’s signing of the “corrupt” 2025 budget, the VP’s camp raised the matter to the Supreme Court.
Then, on the last session day, the impeachment was suddenly brought open to the plenary for action and the approval of the majority of the members was like a noon-day lightning bolt. It was reminiscent of former President Joseph Estrada’s impeachment. The articles of the VP’s impeachment were transmitted to the Senate only about two hours after the Congressmen’s approval.
The Senate’s action also added to the issue of timing when the Upper House’s Secretary General merely accepted the impeachment documents minutes before Senate President Chiz Escudero declared the adjournment of the Senate session.
So what happens is that all the actions done by the administration through Congress appear to be following a well-laid-out script intended to attain the final objective – having the VP convicted.
We have no doubt that VP Sara’s camp is so mad about her impeachment. And like we said earlier we are sad just like all other Filipinos who believe in the Vice President. Unfortunately, the VP, instead of showing professionalism in the midst of the attack on her integrity, and her close relatives and associates appear to be sounding the war drums. They are warning of chaos among the people; of the possible interference of the military; and of the uprising of the lowly including some indigenous people.
The VP’s camp is even warning the Congressmen from Mindanao of the consequences of their voting for her impeachment. In other words, the VP and his close supporters are not willing to accept the decision of the Lower House to impeach her.
But then, with the transmittal of the articles of impeachment to the Senate Sara will be given the opportunity to prove to the Filipino people that all the allegations against her are not true. That is of course, if she is certain that she had not committed any wrong in the discharge of her duties and responsibilities.
Again, instead of issuing warnings of chaos in the nation, division of the people, and other seeming threats of vengeance, perhaps VP Sara will gain more sympathy if she just submits to the Senate’s hearing of her case. She has to convince that body that the charges against her are far from the truth.
Of course, we can understand the Vice President’s position. She is well aware that what was done during that infamous impeachment trial of former (now late) Chief Justice Renato Corona during the administration of the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino could happen again.
In fact there are some senators allegedly involved in the Corona ouster controversy still with the current Senate.
It is this possibility that the VP should be wary about should her impeachment be eventually tried in the Senate.
As a friend said in a Facebook post, “If reports are true that it costs several millions of pesos to have the impeachment of the VP gets approved in the House, it is just logical that a few million more will be added.”
