Category: impeachment

Bumoto para ma-impeach nang tuluyan

[Dahil maraming humihingi ng Tagalog version}

Sa mga botante na nagtatanong, nag-iisip, kung sino-sino ba ang dapat ibotong Senador sa May 12, ang pinaka-kritikal na laban ay ang Impeachment ng VP.

Oo, maraming pang ibang isyu na importante rin, pero sa ngayon, wala nang hihigit pa sa Impeachment sapagkat ayaw nating makabalik ang dinastiyang Duterte — sa loob ng anim ng taon ni FPRRDay lalong nalugmok ang ating Inang Bayan sa hirap, takot, patayan, at utang. Ayaw nating makabalik sila para muling maghasik ng lagim.

MALINAW NA gagawin ni VP Sara ang lahat para di ma-impeach sa Senado.

Kapag nahatulan siya na nagkasala ng at least labing-anim (16) na senador (2/3 of 24) sa darating na Impeachment Trial, bawal na siyang tumakbo for ANY public office. Mabibigo ang balak niyang tumakbong pangulo sa 2028. Kaya naman todo ang kampanya niya para sa mga kandidatong tiyak na ipapa-walang-sala siya sa Impeachment Trial.

KAILANGAN ni VP SARA ng SIYAM (9) na KAKAMPING SENADOR

Sa ngayon, sigurado siya sa boto ng apat (4) na nasa Senado pa: Robin, Jinggoy, Allan Peter, at Mark Villar. Medyo sigurado na rin siya sa dalawa (2) ng PDP-Laban ni Digong na pasók sa Top 12 ng surveys: Bong Go at Bato de la Rosa. Kailangan pa niya ng tatlo (3) para maka-siyam.

Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ine-endorso rin ng VP sina Imee Marcos at Camille Villar, kahit pa kadugo’t kaalyado ng BBM Alyansa. At kung bakit ine-endorso ni Cong. Pulong Duterte sina Gringo Honasan at Ariel Querubin (utos daw ni Digong@ICC).  Pag nakapasok iyang apat (4), may sampu (10) nang kakampi ang VP at pihadong mahahatulan siyang inosente kahit maysala.

At kung hindi man makapasok sa Magic 12 sina Honasan at Querubin, nandiyan naman sina Willie Revillame at Philip Salvador na akyat-panaog labas-pasok sa Top 12 ng mga survey. Baka inaasahan din ni Sara si Pia Cayetano na kabalikat ni Alan Peter.

Mas marami, mas mabuti para kay Sara. Kung makaka-13 nga siya, ibig sabihin, majority + one, makakayang palitan ang Senate President ng isang DDS. Yari tayo sa Impeachment Trial.

SA KABILANG BANDÁ
SA ATING BANDÁ

Kailangan natin ng sixteen (16) senators na magco-convict kay VP Sara batay sa mga ebidensiyang nasiwalat sa QuadComm hearings na napanood natin.

Sa ngayon, may maasahan na tayong apat (4) na nasa Senado pa: Chiz Escudero, Risa Hontiveros, Win Gatchalian, at Raffy Tulfo (?).  Hindi tayo sigurado kina JV, Loren, Joel, at Migs  — unless umamin sila bigla.

May maaasahan ding pito (7) ng BBM Alyansa na pasók sa top 12 ng SWS April survey — Erwin Tulfo, Lito Lapid, Tito Sotto, Bong Revilla, Abby Binay, Ping Lacson, at Manny Pacquiao.

Totoo, ayaw na sana natin sa mga tulad nilang mga lumang politiko o “trapo” (traditional politicians), lalo na yung mga artista’t dinastiya, na sa hinaba-haba ng panahon ay di nakapagpasá ng mga batas para sa malawakan at malalim na pagbabago ng isang marumi at maramot na sistemang pangkabuhayan.

Pero bilang mga kakampi ni BBM sa Alyansa slate, puwede silang asahan na magdesisyon sa Impeachment Trial batay sa ebidensiya, alang-alang na rin sa Inang Bayan.

Kung dati-rati ay iniismiran o binabale-wala natin ang mga survey — iba kasing mga kandidato ang gusto nating manalo, at sila ang ating ibinoboto, basta, kahit nangungulelat at pihadong matatalo — SA HALALANG ITO ay hinihingi sa atin na bumoto tayo ayon sa survey.

Oo, maniwala tayo sa survey. Noong May 2022 nga, nanalo ang labing-isa (11) sa labing-dalawa (12) na pasók sa Top 12 ng Pulse Asia April survey.

KAILANGAN ng SIXTEEN (16) VOTES para mahatulang maysala si VP Sara.

May apat (4) na nasa Senado pa, plus pito (7) na pasók sa Top 12, ay labing-isa (11). Kailangan natin ng lima (5) pa.

Pumili tayo doon sa mga may laban, yung di malayo sa Top 12, na maasahan natin sa Impeachment Trial. Tulad nina Bam Aquino (15th), Kiko Pangilinan (16th), at Benhur Abalos (18th). At konting kembot na lang sana, sina Heidi Mendoza (24th), France Castro (26th), Leody de Guzman (32nd), at Luke Espiritu (30th).

Parang ganito rin ang iniisip ni former VP Leni Robredo na ka-e-endorse kina Benhur at Manny Pacquiao, idinagdag kina Heidi, Bam, at Kiko. May pag-asa talaga.

LISTAHAN ng 14
Pumili ng 12

Benhur Abalos
Bam Aquino
Abby Binay
France Castro
Luke Espiritu
Leody de Guzman
Kiko Pangilinan
Ping Lacson
Lito Lapid
Heidi Mendoza
Manny Pacquiao
Bong Revilla
Tito Sotto
Erwin Tulfo

Kung ayaw mo sa artista, ilaglag sa listahan si Revilla (na kurakot din daw) at si Lapid. O kaya, dalawang dinastiya (si Revilla pa rin). Ang mahalaga ay maka-12, pandagdag sa apat (4) na incumbent Senators na kakampi na natin. para maka-16 Senators na maaasahang isasaalang-alang ang ebidensiya sa mga kasong kriminal na hinaharap ng VP.

Ipakalat ang listahan mo. Ipalaganap ang panawagang ito.

#VoteToImpeach #SaraMaysala

Vote for Senators who will Vote to Impeach

Calling on the Yellows, Pinks, and Reds of all shades.

VP Sara‘s impeachment is the most critical issue that should guide our choice of 12 senators on May 12. There are many other important issues, yes, but first let’s make sure the Dutertes do not make a comeback (a la Trump) and wreak national havoc anew with their dark and vengeful ways.

Let’s take the cue from VP Sara herself who has endorsed Imee Marcos and Camille Villar — kahit pa kadugo’t kaalyado ni PBBM — just because she needs at least nine (9) votes to acquit her in the impeachment trial.

So far, she can count on four (4) of the 12 senators still in the Senate — Robin, Jinggoy, Alan Peter, and Mark Villar — but only on two (2) re-electionists in Digong’s PDP who are expected to make it to the winning 12 — SWS‘s April survey has Bong Go in 1st place and Bato dela Rosa in 6th. Who knows when the ICC will get them. Meanwhile, that’s 4 + 2 = 6 votes.  https://pia.gov.ph/139544-2/

Sara may also be counting on Pia Cayetano (5th place) of BBM’s Alyansa who is expected to vote a la AlanPeter because they’ve always voted alike (korek me if I’m wrong). That’s 6 + 1 = 7.

She needs at least two more. And here’s where she’s counting on Camille, 11th place, and Imee, in 14th. That’s 7+ 2 = 9.  Exactly the number of votes she needs to be acquitted, never mind evidence of guilt.

But to be sure, she won’t mind getting more than 9 senators on her side, four (4) more, to be exact. With 13 votes — majority of 12 + 1 — Chiz could be replaced by a DuterteDiehard senator, which might explain why Cong Pulong Duterte has also endorsed Gringo Honasan, in 19th place, and Ariel Querubin, 29th (on Digong’s instructions daw). But maybe they’re really counting more on Willie Revillame (IND), now in 13th place, and Philip Salvador (PDP), 17th, na akyat-panaog sa surveys, pasok-labas sa magic 12.

ON THE OTHER HAND

To impeach Sara we need at least 16 Senators who will vote to convict.

So far we can count on four (4) of the Senators still in the Senate — Risa Hontiveros, Chiz Escudero, Win Gatchalian, and Raffy Tulfo. Not sure about JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva, and Migs Zubiri, who could swing either way [again, correct me if I’m wrong].

Going by the SWS April poll, (not counting Pia and Camille) BBM’s Alyansa has seven (7) in the top 12 —  Erwin Tulfo (in 2nd place), Lito Lapid (3rd), Tito Sotto (4th), Bong Revilla (7th), Abby Binay (9th), Ping Lacson (11th), and Manny Pacquiao (12th).  [Pasók din si Ben Tulfo (IND, 8th) but who knows with these Tulfos, baka swing votes pala?]

I know, I know, the seven (7) are all traditional politicians and artistas, mostly even dynasts, to boot!  But hey, what matters at this point is making sure we get the 16 votes to impeach Sara. We can do it only if we stop with the romantic notion that we are doing right when we ignore the surveys and vote for the ones we like, basta, kahit nangungulelat at pihadong matatalo.

Hindi dapat ismiran o bale-walaín ang Pulse Asia at SWS just because di natin like o type ang inire-report nilang mga kandidatong most-likely-to-win. Pulse Asia and SWS have been doing this a long time, gauging scientifically the inclinations of a representative sample of the electorate at a specific points in time. Historically, their pre-poll survey results have proven consistent with election results.

In April 2022 Pulse Asia’s opinion poll nailed 11 of the 12 senators who made it to the magic 12. Ronnie Holmes promises a last report very early in May. Abangan natin, in case may significant differences with SWS’s April poll. https://pulseasia.ph/updates/april-2022

WE NEED 16 VOTES TO IMPEACH

To recap, there’s at least four (4) Senators still in the Senate who we can count on. And going by SWS, there are seven (7) BBM-Alyansa candidates in the top 12. That’s 4 + 7 = 11.  We need five (5) more.

Let’s choose from the ones who have a fighting chance because they’re not too far from 12th place:  Bam Aquino is in 15th, Kiko Pangilinan in 16th, Benhur Abalos in 18th. That’s three (3) + 11 = 14. We need two more.

Francis Tolentino is in 21st place but he seems to be another swing vote, could go either way. Heidi Mendoza is in 28th, France Castro 30th, Leody de Guzman 32nd, Luke Espiritu 34th.

It would seem that former VP Leni Robredo is on a similar wavelength. She has lately endorsed Manny and Benhur in addition to Bam, Kiko, and Heidi.  Hope springs eternal.

LIST of 14
Choose 12

Benhur Abalos
Bam Aquino
Abby Binay
France Castro
Luke Espiritu
Leody de Guzman
Ping Lacson
Lito Lapid
Heidi Mendoza
Manny Pacquiao
Kiko Pangilinan
Bong Revilla
Tito Sotto
Erwin Tulfo

NOTE. You can remove the artistas Revilla & Lapid, or let go two of the dynasts, and still come up with 12. Plus at least four (4) still in the Senate would make a total of 16, exactly the number we need to impeach the VP. Share the list. Spread the word. #VoteToImpeach 

Llamas exaggerates

This is what he said on Richard Heydarian‘s vlog a week ago, a day or so before the People’s Impeachment Movement (PIM) announced the signature drive.

Ronald Llamas. Nabalitaan ko lang na may mga grupo ng mga religious na balak mag-launch ng people’s impeachment movement. … Kung babagal-bagal ang senado, kung ayaw ng senado na mag-convene, kami ang magco-convene, a people’s impeachment, at itong mga articles of impeachment, mga complaints, paguusapan pa namin, kami na mismo, at baka magpapirma kami ng several million signatures. Dahil sabi ng senate president walang clamor … gagawa ng clamor ang mga religious … balita ko next week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY3Av300cnE&t=1830s 

Na-excite naman ako, LOL. I guess because it reminded of Chino Roces’s signature campaign in November ’85 to convince Cory to run for  president should Marcos call snap elections, and Chino and his peeps gathered 1.2M in less than a month — martial law pa noon! — and the rest is history.  I thought that PIM’s launch would signal the immediate start of signature-gathering in church patios and malls and street corners and online websites, as in forthwith, right away.

Alas. The “launch” on the eve of Ash Wednesday was simply an announcement of intent, and their self-imposed deadline for just one (not several) million signatures is June 8, Pentecost Sunday. June 8!!! By then, according to SP Chiz’s proposed calendar, the Senate would have convened as an impeachment court anyway, so what difference would a million sigs make?

Bakit walang urgency, kung “forthwith” ang ipinaglalaban? Anyare?

People were asking na, where do we go to sign? can we offer, volunteer, our spaces to help gather signatures? kailangan kaya may official I.D.s ang mga pipirma? at kung ano-ano pa. Sayang. It was a great idea.

I had imagined that even just a million signatures could be gathered by a well-organized team by the end of March, and the appeal could be for the Senate to convene as an impeachment court early in April, and then to suspend around the 25th, thus giving re-electionists the final two weeks before the May 12 elections to make their final pitches on the ground, and then to resume in June…

And then again, former Senate Prez Frank Drilon said yesterday on ANC’s Hot Copy with Karen Davila that he thinks the religious orgs are “barking at (sic) the wrong tree”. That the appeal should be addressed to PBBM, not SP Chiz.

Drilon. Senate President Escudero cannot start the trial UNLESS the president calls congress to a special session because (it is) the convening of a special session (that) will make the convening of the impeachment trial court compulsory. … But it cannot start today because there is no session. And therefore the remedy is for the president to call a special session. … He can say: I am calling a special session so the Senate can address its constitutional duty to convene an impeachment court. The discretion of the president to call a special session is ABSOLUTE.

Ang problema, while the president has said he is willing to call a special session, he will do so only if or when the Senate requests it, and the senators (except for Koko Pimentel and Risa Hontiveros) are adamant, as in, no way, busy sila sa kampanya. “Too much to ask” of Senators, say pa ni Cynthia Villar. I imagine that the president is on the same page — he dreams of a 12-0 win  — and will not be moved by a million, even several million, signatures?

So far, no update from Llamas on the signature drive — no response to Drilon’s advice — not even just to correct himself. Maybe the attitude is, matatabunan naman agad, no one’s keeping track, so he feels free to exaggerate, lalo na kung sa vlog lang naman. Ayos.

“Forthwith” … a people’s impeachment court?

I’ve made no bones about it, I didn’t mind waiting until after the May elections for the impeachment trial to proceed as long as siguradong the 19th HoR’s Articles of Impeachment continues to hold in the 20th Congress. Because the timing is terrible, what with the very heated campaign season with two powerful dynasties facing off, no holds barred, AND a very divided Senate.

What are the chances that it could be all over even before elections, whether acquit or convict, and what would either outcome mean for the elections? On the other hand, kung hindi agad matapos at itutuloy sa June, July, how would that affect the reelectionists’ chances in May? Madadagdagan pa ang variables nang katakot-takot, better to wait till after elections, was my attitude.

But given the endless “forthwith” discourse, and given the release of Senate Prez’s proposed impeachment calendar, I’m suddenly counting months, March, April, May, June, July, a wait of five months, masyadong matagal nga naman. Hindi na masasabing “forthwith”, not even “as soon as possible”, more like “when convenient” for the senators? And the incumbent senators’ oathtaking in June makes no sense kung wala rin namang uumpisahan hanggang July 30 [korek me if I’m wrong].

And now, this, from the pfundit who’s always worth checking out in case he’s saying something new and not just repeating himself the way he does across platforms:

Ronald Llamas. Nabalitaan ko lang na may mga grupo ng mga religious na balak mag-launch ng people’s impeachment movement. … Kung babagal-bagal ang senado, kung ayaw ng senado na mag-convene, kami ang magco-convene, a people’s impeachment, at itong mga articles of impeachment, mga complaints, paguusapan pa namin, kami na mismo, at baka magpapirma kami ng several million signatures. Dahil sabi ng senate president walang clamor … gagawa ng clamor ang mga religious … balita ko next week.  https://www.youtube.com/

Several million signatures! Alin-aling religious orgs kaya ito? Kasali kaya ang simbahang Katoliko? If yes, kayang-kaya ngang mag-create ng clamor. That would be quite a show. The Senate Prez and the Senators would then have to get their act together, now na. A higher duty calls.

PAHABOL

Christian Monsod:  [The senators] cannot give the excuse that there’s an election campaign. They will be on televisiion while this trial is ongoing and maybe the people can see for themselves what the values and alighnments and politics are of these senators, which is a good lesson for the voters. …

I’d like to see the names of those who say they refuse to meet because they’re on recess. Because … if they happen to be elected, then we will file cases against them … for violating the constitution, and they might not be able to sit. https://www.youtube.com/