Category: impeachment

Who’s afraid of Senate impeachment trial?

The INC & DDS were still high on that huge almost-2M-strong political rally — yey! di na mai-impeach si VP Sara, the people have spoken! — when PBBM‘s chief legal counsel proceeded to douse cold water on the very idea.

Juan Ponce Enrile:  As a nation and a state , we will incur a very detrimental precedent if we follow the logic implicit in the INC rally that they mounted. Are we prepared and ready to face the long term consequences of that INC move? https://www.facebook.com/jp.enrile

Quite persuasive, sa totoo lang. As JPE warns, should Congress refuse to act on the impeachment complaints on the say-so of INC, it would set an awful precedent for the next time an impeachable government official screws up and deserves to be impeached — the Iglesia, or some other group, only has to rear its ugly head again and say NO, and that’s that?

Thankfully PBBM has acknowledged the wisdom of Enrile’s warning, as in, yes, indeed, junking the impeachment complaints would set a “problematic” precedent, but in the next breath he says:

“Wala nang congressman, wala nang senador, dahil nangangampanya na sila. Hindi tayo makakapagbuo ng quorum. And so, as a practical matter, the timing is very poor.” https://pco.gov.ph

Susog pa ni Senate Prez Chiz, kailangan pa daw pag-aralan, kung sakaling ma-refer to the senate ang Articles of Impeachment ngayon, kung kailan malapit nang mag-break for elections, back to square one ba after elections? https://www.gmanetwork.com/

Is Chiz playing dumb?  As far as I know, the Senate is a continuous body na kahit kailan ay hindi nababakante — kaya nga staggered ang elections, only 12 of 24 seats become vacant every three years (unlike the House of Reps).  Ibig sabihin, the trial can continue, pick up where the Senate court leaves off before election-break, once the new members have been sworn in. (Naturally the newbies are expected to be capable of catching up, or they have no place in those august halls.)

Atty. Rene Bueno:  Kapag impeachment court na ang Senado, puwede magpatuloy na litisin ang complaint … puwede ring i-set aside until after elections. … Marami nang jurisprudence re the Senate as a continuous body, no one can interrupt this function, and the main purpose is to maintain the stability of the government.  https://www.youtube.com/

Antonio Contreras: The concept of the Philippine Senate as a continuing body refers to its structure, composition and functioning, which ensures that its operations continue seamlessly despite periodic changes in its membership. This principle has legal and practical implications, making the Senate distinct from the House of Representatives. https://web.archive.org/

Fr. Ranhilio Aquino:  It is instructive that the 1987 Constitution and the 1935 Constitutions of the Philippines have staggered senators’ terms—thus assuring the continuity of the chamber…. https://manilastandard.net/

So. Malinaw na initiating the impeachment trial before elections won’t be a waste of time and effort for the Senate. Of course it would annoy the INC & DDS, and surely lose them some votes in May, but, hey, di ba’t matutuwa tiyak ang mas nakararaming mga Katoliko at Muslim atbp. na pro-impeachment — from BBM peeps to Leni Kakampinks — huwag ismolin o isnabin ang mga boto nila.

Kaya rin wala akong kabilib-bilib sa hirit ng Lower House Reps na useless isampa ang kaso sa Senado dahil sigurado silang i-a-acquit ng Senado ang VP.  Parang wala pala silang kabilib-bilib sa mga ebidensiyang napalutang nila mismo sa mga hearing ng Lower and Upper Houses re confidential funds atbp. So. Kung iyan pa rin ang pakiramdam nila after elections, hindi pa rin nila aaksyunan? Never mind their mandate?

If memory serves, ganyang ganyan din noong impeachment trials nina Erap at Corona. Walang katiyakan. Pero both times, in different ways, natanggal sila. Can it be that the powers-that-be do not really want the VP impeached by the Senate, bahala na lang sa 2028?

Suddenly I’m remembering VP Sara saying back in October 2024 that she has a list of 5 impeachable offenses by PBBM. Could it be why BBM doesn’t want her impeached, so that she won’t, can’t, try to impeach him? Quid pro quo, I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine, with the INC playing gamemaster? Sana naman hindi.

 

 

Impeachment & budget blues, pre-2025

First they agitate us into thinking on and going along with moves to impeach the VP but now that complaints have been filed they are refusing to sign on — instead they’re continuing daw with the QuadComm hearings on January 25, which makes me think that the point pala (tilà) is not really to impeach (not too quickly anyway?) but to critique and weaken the Duterte brand in the run-up to May 2025 elections, maybe in aid of booting out some of Digong’s posse from the Senate?

Sino kaya ang timon? Is this inordinate delay part of a battle plan, or are they all playing it by ear, improvising as they go along, basta never losing sight of the goal, that is, to prevent a Duterte comeback one way or another in 2028. If the latter, that they’re improvising, then I imagine that more than one head is calling the shots, and  there’s a lot of secret convos consults going on behind closed doors, deals being wheeled for sure, and it takes a while for One to decide on anything, too many other heavyweights to consider, which would explain why it feels like we’re all hanging in the air about matters to do with government and governance in this Marcos restoration.

It would also explain why Congress’s 2025 budget is a mess (to put it kindly) with public monies being diverted to campaign ayudas for winning elections, instead of being spent in aid of supporting a development strategy that addresses urgent needs in health, education, and livelihood, in ways more kind and sustainable than dole-outs and ENDOs and other capitalist trickle-down tricks-n-treats.  Which would in turn explain the justifiable outrage and outcry over the unconstitutionality and immorality of it all.

Surely it hasn’t escaped the notice of palace peeps that the PhilHealth–DepEd-Budget issue has inflamed both sides of the Marcos-Duterte divide as well as the pinks and the yellows and the reds — at least that’s the sense I’m getting from mainstream and social media. Is this part of the plan, too, or was this unforeseen? If unforeseen, then nakakataranta siguro, ikot-puwet moments, for the powers-that-be. If foreseen but shrugged off because, maybe, matatabunan ng impeachment bigla, or something huge like that, e di wow.

Today’s good news is, PBBM isn’t signing the Budget on December 20 as scheduled. The prez needs “more time review the national budget amid criticisms over some items.”

Salamat naman. When the DDS are talking “people power” to oust him à la the matandang Marcos, it’s a mistake to dismiss it all as just “a lot of noise” which only reminds of PNoy who shrugged off critics as a “noisy minority” and we saw how his annointed lost the election in 2016.

A time to impeach

It’s crunch time for 19th Congress Reps who are reaping the consequence of the widely-watched QuadComm hearings on alleged culpabilities and betrayals of public trust by the Dutertes.  After agitating civil society so for the last three months, there is simply no justifying the claim that it’s too late to impeach the VP just because of the 2025 midterm elections coming.

Mas importante kasi ang kampanya? Then they should have put off the Quad project till after elections–bakit nagmadali? And now that the die is about to be cast, tila panic mode sila, lalo na yung mga umaasa pa rin sa boto ng mga ka-DDS, especially yung mga taga-Visayas at -Mindanao.

This is true, too, for the senators. Impeachment by the Lower House means the Upper House has no choice but to proceed with the trial, which means re-electionists will not be able to campaign as usual. Still, a trial means the Reps-Prosecutors and the Senators-Judges will be on TV every hearing day, which means free publicity. Ayun nga lang, if the defense wraps up and the court votes to acquit or convict before May 2025, magkakaalaman na kung DDS o BBM ang bawat senador, AT magkakaalaman na kung sinong papanigan ng mga botante come election day. Ito ang iniiwasan sana ng ating mga mambabatas, at ng palasyo na rin, it would seem, given how BBM has flipflopped.

Ang gusto nila, status quo, no change. Ang gusto natin, impeachment trial, at matinong pagbabago. Let the VP defend herself, ilabas lahat ng itinatago, let the chips fall where they may.

Yung kay Senator Migs, na divisive daw ang impeachment, at baka magkagulo–divided na nga po, sir. Mabuti nga’t yung mga nagra-rally for and against impeachment are all talking “mapayapang paraan”. Malay natin, baka ito pa ang makapag-unite sa taongbayan. And what about Senator Jinggoy–hindi naman daw gumanda ang buhay nung na-impeach ang tatay niya o nung natanggal ang matandang Marcos. Naku, sir, fake news ‘yan, no ifs or buts.

To think that neither Migs nor Jinggoy is a re-electionist in 2025. Maybe that’s why they dare speak up for the status quo? Nothing to lose?

A final note on the two impeachment complaints. Only the first includes betrayal of public trust for failing to condemn Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea. Which is not unexpected naman, considering that the second was filed by the Left, which has always been anti-U.S., but is it pro-China?  Eh ang Congress kaya?

I guess we’ll know soon enough, when we see the consolidated complaint. Hope springs.

Impeachment fizz & frenzy

Strangely, the DDS people power attempt seems to have fizzled out with the filing of impeachment complaints vs VP Sara yesterday — I’m not sure now what gave me the impression that it would fuel DDS wrath instead and swell their numbers. O baka naman they’re waiting for instructions from Harry, Trixie, and Maharlika who might be waiting for instructions from the Digong and the VP who may still be rethinking their strategies in aid of regrouping now that the process has been kicked off not by the Speaker but by civil society.

Meanwhile, as Congress takes time to determine if the complaints are actionable, the debate now is whether or not this is a good time — if there’s time — for an impeachment trial in the Senate. Many say it’s too late, Pasko na, tapos, kampanya na for May 2025; besides, ayaw ni BBM. Just as many say it’s never too late, na kung talagang gusto ng HOR, magagawan ito ng paraan.

Listening to pro-impeachment spokesperson Leila de Lima with Ted Failon today as she warned of a Sara presidency should anything happen to BBM, it was like listening to an Akbayan political pundit perorating on similar concerns to his cohorts on mainstream and social media last week, seriously dreading a Duterte restoration even before 2028. I wonder if this is who Cito Beltran was referring to:

Last week, as I surfed news and commentary programs, jumping from one station to another, I could not help but notice that several radio and online commentaries seemed to sound alike. It was almost like people were reading from the same book. Out of curiosity, I started asking my friends in media if some PR person had been going around making a pitch against the Vice President or to pour fuel into the fire, so to speak.

The first person I asked immediately and unabashedly confirmed my suspicion about the similarity in talking points and that someone had reached out to him as well. This of course is nothing new. It is common knowledge that PR firms or experts do the rounds to get the media on board concerning an issue and position.

Some appeal to a shared view, others ask help as a personal favor, and the desperate or well-funded offer 30 pieces of silver, so to speak. What’s interesting is that the PR was not a PR but a political aspirant.  https://www.philstar.com/opinion

Political aspirant nga ba? O Akbayan PR? Maybe both. But in fairness, if we’re talking about the same person, he is incredibly well-informed of goings-on behind the scenes, past and present, even from afar, sabay disclaimer that he knows anything or has anything to do with events unfolding. Quite an operator he is, and very much in his element.