MANILA, Philippines — Infuriated by the Supreme Court (SC) decision that killed a la “tokhang” the Articles of Impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, proponents of the first complaint against her yesterday urged the Senate to proceed with the trial.
“We urge the Senate and the House to assert their right and power and move forward with the impeachment trial,” said Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña, who endorsed the first complaint in December 2024.
Cendaña joined several progressive groups, including the Tindig Pilipinas Coalition, Federation of Free Workers, Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa and Siklab, to voice their opposition to the High Tribunal’s unanimous ruling that junked the complaint against Sara for violating the one-year ban on filing impeachment complaints and infringing on her right to due process.
Akbayan’s second nominee lamented that impunity has been perpetuated once again. “Tokhang is happening all over again,” Cendaña added.
Protest
During the indignation rally at the Boy Scout Circle in Quezon City, several protesters slammed the SC justices for their alleged complicity in shielding the Vice President.
“Your decision is trash,” Sylvia Estrada Claudio, who leads the group EveryWoman and is one of the first petitioners of the Vice President’s impeachment, said.
“The SC was the last institution to help the citizenry hold officials accountable, and yet you failed their dream of having a clean government,” Claudio added.
For Joshua Mata of Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa, the justices only succeeded in “killing” the truth.
“The impeachment is not about matters of legal technicalities, so don’t f**king bu****it us,” he said. “This is about the truth. This is about accountability. The SC only won in killing the truth and the trial.”
In Congress, Kabataan party-list Renee Co said her group will join the mobilization on Marcos’ SONA on Monday to expressed their disgust over the SC decision.
“The youth has been flooded, then cold water has been poured on the rage against corruption of Sara Duterte. The new normal is unacceptable: conspiracy and no accountability, stolen funds supposedly for our education and continued destruction of environment and future of the youth,” Co said.
Former ACT Teachers party-list representative France Castro said the SC decision “is an outright betrayal of the people, especially the teachers and personnel of education who sacrifice for the country every day. The people should not wait for another year to hold accountable those who misused public funds.”
Former Gabriela women’s party representaative Arlene Brosas said the SC did not only dismiss the impeachment complaint against Duterte, it also “dismissed accountability of government officials.”
The SC’s decision is a blow to holding accountable government officials accused of corruption, activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said yesterday.
Bayan president Renato Reyes Jr. said the SC practically rewrote the rules on impeachment and made the process of accountability even more difficult for the people.
“Holding corrupt officials now has additional requirements, no thanks to the untenable resolution issued by the High Court,” he said, as Bayan and other cause-oriented groups held rallies to protest the SC’s decision.
The fate of the impeachment cases against Duterte is among the issues that will be raised by activists who will hold anti-government protests during the State of the Nation Address of President Marcos tomorrow.
“Let Monday be a grand indignation over injustice, lack of accountability and unregulated corruption,” Reyes said.
Religious group Clergy for Good Governance also condemned the decision of the SC. In a statement, Clergy for Good Governance convenor and running priest Fr. Robert Reyes said the ruling is a grave betrayal of the Constitution and the democratic process.
“We, members of the clergy, condemn in the strongest possible terms the Supreme Court’s reported decision declaring the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte as constitutionally infirm, even before the Senate could fulfill its duty to try the case,” Reyes said.
For the Supreme Court to block this process is to protect power, not truth; impunity, not justice,” he added. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Emmanuel Tupas, Bella Cariaso