In the high-stakes arena of Philippine politics, every move is calculated, every word rehearsed, and every action cloaked in the language of public service. Yet, behind the grand speeches and solemn proclamations, motives often lurk in the shadows—waiting to be unmasked.
The current impeachment drive against the Vice President is a case in point. The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, is not genuinely concerned with her performance or even her current role as Vice President and concurrent head of the Department of Education. The real game lies elsewhere.
Their sights are fixed on something far more strategic: a conviction in the Senate that would trigger the most devastating political penalty enshrined in our Constitution—perpetual disqualification from holding any public office. This is not a mere slap on the wrist; it is political annihilation, a clean sweep of the chessboard before the 2028 national elections even begin.
Article XI, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution was never meant to be the bludgeon it has become. The framers envisioned impeachment as a rare and solemn process—reserved for grave misconduct and clear abuse of power. It was meant to safeguard the Republic, not to clear a path for political ambition.
Yet here we are, watching the ancient safeguards of democracy being repurposed as a weapon. It is a masterclass in political expediency: wrap a personal vendetta in the garments of public accountability, and suddenly it smells of patriotism.
But we must not be fooled. This is not about integrity in office—it’s about eliminating a formidable rival before the people can decide her fate at the polls. This is not about protecting the Republic—it’s about securing power by any means necessary.
If we allow impeachment to be wielded as a partisan tool, we set a dangerous precedent. Today it is the Vice President; tomorrow it could be anyone who dares to stand in the way of those who control the gavel.
In the end, it is the people, always the people!—and democracy itself—that become collateral damage. Let us not confuse political expediency with legal necessity, for when ambition masquerades as accountability, it is the nation that loses.
