SOCIAL media platforms have recently become the vehicle for conflicting opinion on the delay in the trial of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. The diversity in opinion has even become more overt in the attempt by a member of the Senate to have the case dismissed through a resolution by the Upper Chamber.
In the case of the trial delay, the faculty of the college of law of the University of the Philippines (UP) and the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) have even joined the seeming urgent call for the Senate to hold the trial within the ambit of the “forthwith” provision of the Constitution in regards to impeachment cases against an impeachable public official.
Lawyers’ organizations, too, as well as individual law practitioners, also joined the fray again making reference to the Constitution’s provision on impeachment.
In the same vein, there are netizens and media practitioners who are apparently against the impeachment of the VP as they chastise the action of those calling for the immediate trial by the Senate.
These groups and individuals are suspicious of the motive behind the call of the law faculties, lawyers groups, and others who are demanding for the compliance of the mandate of the Constitution.
These groups even called the former groups hypocrites asking where they were when issues of corruption and other shenanigans were raised by no less than the Commission on Audit (CIA). They ask further why the law faculties of the prestigious universities did not present their positions on the issue of the PhilHealth fund transfer back to the General Fund, as well as their silence on the issue of alleged manipulation of the 2025 General Appropriations Act that is now questioned in the Supreme Court.
The groups questioning the intention of those demanding for the immediate trial by the Senate of VP Sara’s impeachment suspect that the latter are subtly allowing themselves to be instrument in the attempt to eliminate the Vice President from the 2028 presidential election. VP Sara is seen as a frontrunner among the potential candidates.
We believe, however, that in manifesting to the public their position to have the VP’s impeachment trial done immediately, the law faculty, lawyers’ organizations, as well as individual lawyers, could possibly be motivated by the best of intentions. That is, the desire to have the mandate of the Constitution complied with by the Senators.
Nevertheless, with the degree of enmity between and among the country’s leading politicians and the proximity of the next presidential polls, moves by any of the opposing groups or by some non-partisan organizations or individuals will always be suspect by those who feel they or the group they support are “adversely” affected.
From where we are perched, our view is that with the ongoing harsh political dynamics, any rapprochement even if it is for the sake of attaining unity and the long-desired socio-economic development of the country, is still very, very far from sight. It is even getting worse by the day.
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Here is this one campaign promise of newly elected Senator Rodante Marcoleta that is worth the watch of power distribution companies all over the country.
Marcoleta’s commitment? Well, he wants all household electric consumers with bills not exceeding P2,000 a month be given for free. Meaning, those with consumption of P2,000 or less will now be relieved of a major household burden.
The question, however, is whether Marcoleta will even land first base in introducing his promised Bill in the Senate. Yes, the possibility is that conglomerates doing power distribution business are likely major contributors to the campaign fund kitty of the senators when they ran. And who knows, Marcoleta could even be one of the beneficiaries.
By this time we are already certain that the electricity providers are already crafting their plans to obviate any such move of the newly elected senator. After all, power distribution companies are known experts in lobbying in Congress just to ensure they get what they think is more beneficial to their business even if they have to make some “sacrifices.”
