The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines has launched a blistering attack on the Senate following its “outright dismissal” of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, accusing the chamber of being “a loyal accomplice to impunity” and part of a “rotten system protecting its own.”
In a statement that pulls no punches, ACT condemned the Senate’s move as a calculated act of political shielding, warning that the decision “snuffs out any possibility of accountability” and exposes the chamber as “an instrument of elite consolidation.”
Though senators claim the complaint was merely “archived” pending a Supreme Court ruling, ACT says the language used by lawmakers reveals a deeper betrayal: they’ve already adopted Duterte’s defense that the impeachment was “void ab initio.”
“No invocation of technicalities can disguise what has happened,” ACT declared. “This was a shameless and deliberate move.”
The group likened the Senate’s maneuver to a “theatre of legality masking the brute consolidation of power by a parasitic elite,” accusing lawmakers of abandoning their duty to uphold checks and balances in favor of dynastic loyalty.
ACT’s outrage stems from what it calls Duterte’s “dereliction of duty” and “misuse of confidential funds” during her tenure, especially as public schools face worsening conditions and chronic neglect.
“While the masses of educators and ordinary Filipinos demand answers… the Senate responds by insulating one of the most corrupt figures in the land.”
The group framed the dismissal as a stark reminder of the country’s “semi-colonial, semi-feudal order,” where laws bend to the will of political dynasties and institutions meant to check abuse instead serve to preserve it.
ACT urged the Supreme Court to reverse its earlier decision and allow the impeachment to proceed,but made clear that the fight for justice won’t be won in courtrooms alone.
“We must acknowledge that the fight for justice cannot be won in institutions beholden to the ruling elite. It must be waged in the streets, in schools, and in every arena where people can organize and resist.”
In a rallying cry to educators and democracy defenders, ACT called for continued struggle against corruption and negligence in government.
“This latest betrayal strengthens our collective resolve,” the group said. “The people will not be silenced by rhetoric. The path forward remains what it has always been—protest, organize, mobilize.” (ZIA LUNA)
