Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian is wrong to think that the duty of presiding over an impeachment trial is subject to compromise. As a constitutional duty, it is mandatory. By accepting the position of Senate President after securing the required votes, this responsibility is no longer optional. It is, in essence, a function of the Senate presidency. Otherwise, it would be subject to the whims of leaders who wish to evade public scrutiny because of incompetence or a wanton disregard of their responsibilities. Of course, unless the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines rules otherwise, Senator Chiz Escudero can continue performing this role, which he has discharged with remarkable brilliance, much in the same way that the late Senator Juan Ponce Enrile enhanced his own reputation. Both have demonstrated an excellent understanding of the rules governing the impeachment court.
Indeed, Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial reveals the kind of politics we have in this country. Almost everything that defines our nationhood is marked by contestation. We cannot seem to agree on who we are or what we stand for as a people. This lack of unity is symptomatic of the “divide and conquer” strategy imposed by our colonizers, making it easier for them to subjugate us. Our colonizers have never truly left us. They have merely assumed new faces while tightening their grip on our social, economic, and political lives. I am referring to the elites of this country who, while we remain in a state of confusion and turmoil, continue to wield power and control. What is at stake is not merely the political future of the Vice President. It is the kind of governance founded on a principle that her father championed—justice for Mindanao and the Filipino people against the interests of oligarchs and self-righteous elites.
The members of Congress who impeached Sara do not represent the Filipino people. It is inaccurate to say that they do. Instead, they represent the corruption embedded in our political system. The irony is obvious. Those who seek Sara’s conviction are allegedly acting at the behest of the mastermind behind the flood control scandal. They fear a Sara Duterte presidency because they know they will have nowhere to hide in 2028 if she wins. There is nothing new in what the House prosecutors have presented during the first week of the Senate impeachment trial. The Filipino people already know what Ridon, Diokno, and De Lima are going to say. Their first witness appeared vulnerable—shattered, in fact, if one were to judge by the reactions of many netizens. They are simply advancing a narrative that, in my view, lacks evidentiary value. What the prosecution seeks is not the truth; rather, it seeks to tarnish Sara’s reputation throughout the course of the trial.
Why? It is because they know that none of the candidates they have floated since 2024 stands a realistic chance of defeating Sara in 2028. Bam Aquino has 1% of the electorate if the elections were held today, while Risa Hontiveros has 2%. Although Leni Robredo and Raffy Tulfo have higher numbers, they are still unlikely to be enough to defeat Sara. This is why they want to remove her from the 2028 ballot through impeachment.
The majority of the Filipino people understand that this struggle is not just about Sara. It is a fight for the future of this country. A Sara presidency would bode well for peace and order in the Philippines. She would establish greater stability in the Pacific region. Unlike the present administration, she would pursue genuine diplomacy in addressing the West Philippine Sea issue in a spirit of international cooperation with all stakeholders, including the ASEAN, which would in the process benefit the whole Filipino people. The unnecessary rhetoric of Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro is not helping the country’s cause. There is a need to come to the negotiating table and discuss the West Philippine Sea dispute with the future and security of the region in mind.
Finally, the prosecution has a greater concern than merely presenting its case. It does not have the numbers. This is because the presidency is ultimately a matter of destiny.
