by Renato Reyes Jr., BAYAN president
Upon a motion from the Prosecution, the Senate impeachment court allowed the withdrawal of two more articles of impeachment – Article 1 on the misuse confidential funds and Article 4 on the death threats against the president. This follows the earlier withdrawal of Article 3 on bribery. This leaves the prosecution with only one article of impeachment, that which is related to the Vice President’s SALN and undeclared and/or unexplained wealth.
The withdrawal of 3 articles of impeachment and the retention of just 1 is obviously a way to shorten the impeachment proceedings and arrive at a judgement at the earliest time this year. The Defense will only need to present for the remaining article of impeachment and after the formal offer of evidence and closing arguments, the Senate impeachment court can vote to convict. The Defense expectedly was upset over the move because allegations have been made and they believe that Sara Duterte should be given the chance to present evidence of her own to counter the allegations.
What does all of this mean? If the Prosecution prefers a shortened trial, it probably means they are confident that the votes needed to convict have been somehow secured or that they are confident of securing such votes soon.
It is also possible that the ruling classes want this trial to end soon so that the alignments for 2028 will be made clearer. Who will the ruling classes now back for president if the current frontrunner can no longer run?
It is however a great disservice to the Filipino people, and a huge missed opportunity, that the Senate impeachment court will not rule on the Vice President’s misuse of confidential funds. This is one article where corruption is clearly established. With budget appropriations for confidential and intelligence funds increasing and their use still unseen by the public, it is high time that we strike a blow to the opaque spending practices of those in power. It is high time that we teach a lesson to those who continue to abuse their confidential and intelligence funds through fabricated reports and fictitious beneficiaries. Tatlong taon na nating ipinaglalaban ang panangutan dito, mabibitin na naman tayo.
Let it be remembered that the impeachment gained steam with the issue of confidential funds way back in 2024 and it is only right that we find closure on this issue, three years after it was first brought to light by ACT Teachers representative France Castro during the budget hearings of 2023.
While we want to see the impeachment trial reach its logical end, and for accountability to be achieved at the soonest possible time, how we get there, how the trial is conducted, are just as important as the final vote and outcome. The lessons learned from all this, the reforms that can be pursued because of this trial, are just as important as the outcome of removing an official from office. This is supposed to be la teaching moment for the public to understand how corruption works in our system.
What does it say then about our rotten system if this is how the impeachment will proceed? Indeed, it falls on the people to seek genuine accountability for the abuses in government. Burukrata kapitalismo pa rin ang namamayagpag na sistema. Kailangang baguhin nang tuluyan upang korpasyon ay mawakasan.#
