📷: PNA / FB
In a show of broad civic resolve, more than 120 representatives from civil society groups, church institutions, youth formations, anti‑corruption watchdogs, and concerned citizens gathered Saturday at Claret School in UP Village to formally launch Bantay Impeachment, a nationwide campaign to safeguard accountability and transparency in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The coalition warned against attempts to delay or weaken the constitutional process amid a Senate leadership crisis, stressing that impeachment is not a contest of elites but a mechanism to uphold public trust.
“The impeachment trial is ultimately about the Filipino people’s right to truth, accountability, and justice,” organizers declared.
House prosecutors Joel Chua, Terry Ridon, and Renee Co briefed participants on case developments, underscoring vigilance against disinformation.
Bantay Impeachment outlined three pillars, grassroots education, monitoring and communications, and citizen mobilization, with activities ranging from campus forums and fact‑checking initiatives to livestream analyses and citizen presence inside the Senate gallery.
A mass mobilization is set for July 6, the trial’s opening day, with sustained citizen watch throughout proceedings.
Organizers emphasized that accountability must be demanded by the people themselves: “Every act of corruption deprives people of essential services, every abuse of power weakens democratic institutions, and every betrayal of public trust harms the nation.” # (RRN)
