Opinion

Pork barrels needed to convict VP Sara

GOTCHA - Jarius Bondoc - The Philippine Star

February 7, 2025 | 12:00am

Up to last week, President Bongbong Marcos kept claiming he was against VP Sara Duterte’s impeachment. This week, his son Sandro Marcos was first of 215 congressmen to sign for impeachment.

Last week, BBM’s justice secretary junked 98 counts of reckless imprudence resulting to youngsters’ homicides against “opposition” Rep. Janette Garin. This week, Garin led the impeachment signing.

In December, Congress’ bicameral committee defunded Education and PhilHealth for Public Works and political ayuda. This week, it became clear that the fund juggling was for impeachment payolas.

Impeachment is dirty politics – blatant lying, transactional alignments and bribery.

Three impeachment raps against VP Sara had been endorsed as of Dec. 19, all from the fractured Minority.

Eighty congressmen from BBM’s Supermajority wanted to fastbreak a fourth suit. They needed 106 or one-third of 316 House members to sign, to send it straight for Senate trial.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan Suan, who urged VP Sara to run for president in 2022, posted on Facebook why he’s now against her:

“I voted yes [to impeach] because it’s the right thing to do… To my supporters, I know you stand with me. Ayuda is coming. After we voted yes, Speaker Martin Romualdez provided additional budget to give more assistance.”

Time was running out Wednesday, Feb. 5, as Congress was set to adjourn till June 2.

Money began to talk. Murmurs loudened about pork-barrel releases.

Those will consist of P25-million AKAP, P25-million AICS and P100-million flood and road works from DPWH. A cool P150 million each this election year.

On adjournment day the signatories swelled, first to 153, then to 215.

Two hundred fifteen congressmen x P150 million = P32.25 billion.

BBM’s Budget secretary admitted in January that senators and congressmen inserted P757-billion pork barrels in the 2025 national budget. They’d have to pass through the eye of the needle to get it, she claimed for show.

She released pork barrels in 2022-2024. This 2025 she went along with the bicam’s fund juggling, and advised BBM to make only token vetoes of two budget items.

P757 billion – P32.25 billion = P724.75 billion.

That’s still a lot of people’s tax money going into political pockets.

Also last Wednesday, the Senate made a show of adjourning till June 2 without taking up the impeachment case that the House transmitted. Are senators uninterested in VP Sara’s fate?

The Constitution states, Article XI, Accountability of Public Officers, Section 3-(4):

“In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.”

Forthwith, especially in official use, means immediately, without delay.

Despite four-month adjournment, senators will have to work. A Bar topnotch, Minority leader Koko Pimentel, says 100 percent of senators just need to waive the internal rules to comply with the Constitution, then regroup to try VP Sara.

“Horse-trading will ensue,” reformist Alyansa ng Nagkaka-Isang Mamamayan posted on Facebook. In swiftly adjourning without entertaining VP Sara’s impeachment, “the Senate may be giving itself an opportunity to negotiate behind closed doors.

“In political processes, where significant decisions are at stake, such negotiations are frequent, and the delay offers stakeholders the chance to align their interests.”

BBM’s allies want VP Sara convicted on six charges:

• Publicly threatening to assassinate BBM, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Romualdez;

• Malversing P612.5 million in confidential funds with questionable liquidations;

• Bribery and corruption of DepEd Usec. Gloria Jumamil Mercado, bids and awards committee member Resty Osias, chief accountant Rhunna Catalan and special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda;

• Unexplained, undisclosed fourfold wealth increase from 2007 to 2017;

• Involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City;

• Destabilization, insurrection and public disorder in calling for BBM’s resignation and obstructing congressional inquiries by ordering subordinates to snub subpoenas.

Conviction requires two-thirds of 24 Senate seats, or 16 votes.

Acquittal needs nine votes. VP Sara has ten – for now:

(1) Robin Padilla, president of father Rody Duterte’s PDP-Laban;

(2) Bato Dela Rosa, Duterte’s PNP chief for the bloody drug war;

(3) Bong Go, Duterte’s decades-long aide;

(4) Imee Marcos, BBM’s sister who convinced Sara to run as VP;

(5) Jinggoy Estrada, whom Duterte bailed out of plunder raps;

(6) Cynthia Villar, NP chairman who supported Duterte’s 2016 run;

(7) Mark Villar, Duterte’s public works secretary;

(8) Allan Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s 2016 VP running mate;

(9) Pia Cayetano, NP stalwart and sister of Allan Peter;

(10) Bong Revilla, chairman of Lakas, party of Sara’s supporter ex-president Gloria Arroyo.