It’s really laughable to hear those aligned with Vice President Sara Duterte say that her impeachment is “politically motivated.” Of course it is. It has never been a legal process, it will always be a political exercise. It is dumb to believe that politicians do not act to serve their personal interests and those of the party they swear allegiance to. There simply has not been any impeachment proceeding in history that was not “politically motivated.” 

But whatever the respective motivation of more than 200 congressmen (215 out of 306), Vantage Point believes and supports that VP Sara should be impeached. The number of representatives who signed the impeachment complaint is significantly more than the required number to rapidly send the petition to the Senate. 

The world stood witness to a supposed public servant refusing to shed light — invoking her right to self-incrimination countless times — to various malfeasance she has been accused of. The optics it projects is a defiantly mad public servant rejecting accountability.

The vice president recorded herself spewing invectives against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., saying she has contracted someone to kill him if she herself was assassinated. She also went on record to say that she’s going to exhume the body of Marcos Sr. and toss it to the sea. What angered many Filipinos were her obvious pro-China stance and alleged misuse of taxpayers’ money, particularly when she headed the Department of Education (DepEd). 

VP Sara should be grateful. A final decision will come from the Senate where she has more than a fighting chance. To the consternation of many people, the Senate is seen as being more friendly to her. Senators, including the president’s sister Imee Marcos, Ronald “Bato” De La Rosa, Robinhood Padilla, and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, have all have vowed to stand with VP Sara. Of course, there are the Villars, notably their matriarch Cynthia who has declared her unabashed support: “Why wouldn’t I support her? She’s my friend.” Talk about a naked example of transactional politics.

The fortune or misfortune of VP Sara would not be decided until June 2 when the Senate resumes its session, according to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero. Escudero explained the Senate secretariat would have to verify the signatures on the impeachment complaint and review the trial rules, which will then have to be approved by the senators in plenary. He reiterated that he had no intention of requesting President Marcos for a special session to begin Duterte’s impeachment trial during the 19th Congress. On Monday, he said that VP Sara’s impeachment trial will be after the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) in July.

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Remember that, by June 30, half of the 24-member Senate composition will be changed, with the 12 winning senatorial candidates in the upcoming May election replacing those whose terms are expiring. It is likely that VP Sara’s impeachment would be resolved by two-thirds vote of the new Senate because the upper chamber is a continuing body, according to Supreme Court spokesman and legal expert Theodore Te, “as half of them are still within their terms, so they can still function and discharge duties that the Senate alone can do such as trying an impeached officer.” If convicted, VP Sara will be removed from office and disqualified from holding any public post, effectively ending her 2028 presidential dream. 

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The INC factor

When Pontius Pilate asked the Jews who they wanted to be freed, the resounding answer was not the innocent Jesus Christ, but the murderer and thief Barabas.

We’re not saying here that VP Sara is Barabas and therefore guilty as charged, but to many Filipinos, the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s (INC) defense of VP Sara leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It wants the Vice President, against whom the evidence of plunder of government funds is overwhelming, freed from all accountability.

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The INC, mind you, is not asking for leniency but impunity. It does not demand Ms. Duterte’s exoneration, for that implies a verdict of innocence after a full-blown trial. It simply says that the tenet “no one is above the law” does not apply to her. It would be a “detrimental precedent,” former senator Juan Ponce Enrile observes. Mr. Enrile asks, rather rhetorically, “Should the government allow a religious organization to discard or sacrifice the Rule of Law for a person or group of persons?”

Now, the ball is in the Senate’s court. The question is, will it or can it render a fair decision? Would it be able to set aside personal bias and friendship to render a verdict that satisfies the intent of the law?

Impeachment serves as a critical check on the power of government officials. It ensures that no one, regardless of their position, is above the law. By providing a process for removing officials who have abused their power or violated the Constitution, an impeachment trial reinforces the principle that everyone is accountable for their actions.

Public trust is essential for a functioning democracy. When officials betray that trust through corruption, abuse of power, or other forms of misconduct, such betrayal erodes the foundation of government. Impeachment offers a way to restore public confidence by demonstrating that such transgressions will not be tolerated and that those responsible will be held liable. 

Ultimately, the Senate should not make the Filipino people see the impeachment trial merely as a fool’s gold and lipstick on the swine. – Rappler.com

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[Pastilan] This isn’t some dating app, Sara