President Marcos has so far shown that he is the biggest stumbling block to the impeachment of his rival Vice President Sara Duterte. Quite ironic but not surprising.
The impeachment has been in limbo for more than a month now because it has not been transmitted to the Speaker for proper referral. The impeachment has been held hostage by the political considerations of the ruling elite. The impeachment process undertaken by various people’s organizations is an accountability measure against corruption but it is clear that the protectors of the corrupt system do not want it to go forward.
Why hinder the impeachment process now? Those in power may not want to further expose and weaken the corrupt system that they are benefiting from. They are more focused now on the elections and want to avoid any negative outcome from some sectors if the impeachment moves forward.
The opinions of the President should not hinder Congress from doing its constitutional duty, yet here we are. We are being told there is no more time, that it is not practical and that it is not a priority. The inordinate delay in the transmittal of the complaints has led to a situation where there are fewer session days now to initiate the proceedings. It is as if the delay by the House secretary general was deliberate – to feed the argument that “there is no time.”
The House of Representatives should not shirk from its duty to act on the impeachment. The Senate should not abdicate its role of conducting a trial should the articles of impeachment reach it. All this talk of “lack of time” is meant to preserve the bankrupt status quo of corruption and impunity. Kung gusto may paraan. Kung ayaw maraming dahilan.
Electoral considerations should not take precedence over accountability for corruption. To argue the same is to preserve the corrupt system of bureaucrat capitalism which we are fighting against.
Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile said that agreeing to the INC demands sets a bad precedent in terms of rule of law. He should have pointed out that Marcos’ had already set that precedent by being the main hindrance to the impeachment process. #
