The impeachment filed against Sara Duterte was never purely about accountability or constitutional duty. From the very beginning, it carried the unmistakable scent of politics and personal vendetta.
Those loudly invoking “due process” today remained conveniently silent during the congressional hearings where questionable proceedings and obvious political maneuvering already unfolded. If due process truly mattered to them, they should have demanded fairness and impartiality from the start — not only when public outrage began exposing the selective nature of the attacks.
What makes the situation even more disturbing is the glaring double standard. While the Vice President is subjected to relentless political assault, the personalities behind the scandalous flood control failures, ghost projects, and corruption allegations remain untouched, uninvestigated, and politically protected. Billions vanish into incompetence and corruption, communities drown during monsoon disasters, yet impeachment is reserved not for those who failed the people — but for a political rival.
That alone exposes the real motive: power.
For some political groups, especially ideological blocs seeking greater influence within the House of Representatives, the impeachment serves as a strategic weapon. The growing influence of the Makabayan Bloc and allied forces signals an attempt to reshape the political landscape according to their own ideological interests. To Duterte supporters, this is not merely opposition politics — it is viewed as an effort to weaken the remnants of the previous administration’s hardline policies against insurgency and leftist movements.
Personal interests now masquerade as moral righteousness. Political ambition disguises itself as patriotism. And behind the speeches about democracy and accountability lies the oldest motivation in politics: the desire to retain power and eliminate future threats.
In the end, when impeachment becomes selective, justice becomes questionable. And when political institutions are weaponized for vested interests, public trust becomes the first casualty.■
