Eliminate the Dutertes: ‘Marcos Forever’ scheme

Two events sparked public backlash this week. I am, of course, referring to the Feb. 5 House impeachment of Vice President Inday Sara Duterte.

A day earlier, Duterte-allied political and social media influencers and vloggers filed a petition seeking legal redress to the Supreme Court against the joint inquiry of the House of Representatives committees of public order and safety, information and communications technology, and public information, or TriCom.

The impeachment of VP Sara and the TriCom inquiry serve one common purpose: eliminate the Dutertes for the “Marcos Forever” scheme to succeed.

The duplicitous Marcos-Araneta-Romualdez triumvirate is showing signs of political insecurity. Notwithstanding the ‘doctored’ surveys purportedly showing a decline in the Vice President’s numbers, the reality is, Inday Sara Duterte is still very much viewed as a threat by those in the halls and corridors of power. All have ganged up on her to prevent her from being the next president of the Republic.

The rush to impeach VP Sara, the first impeachment case against the country’s second highest official, is a high-stake political gamble. This is the only chance to eliminate the most approved and most trusted public official in 2028. It is now or never.

The rules say one-third of the 306 congressmen, or 102, is needed to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, which will serve as an impeachment court, to start an actual trial. 215 have voted to impeach the Vice President. No less than presidential son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, headlined the signers of the fourth impeachment complaint against the VP. I consider Cong. Sandro’s action a direct slap to the Iglesia ni Cristo, which weeks earlier threw their support to VP Sara and rallied against her impeachment.

The impeachment of the Vice President, frankly speaking, is a foregone conclusion. Mr. President, fPRRD said no to VP Leni’s impeachment. Why do you keep saying the Executive has no hand in the impeachment? Stop this political gaslighting. Huwag na tayo maglokohan pa. The moment Executive Secretary released a statement that “the power to initiate and act on impeachment complaints is the sole prerogative of the House,” we knew the impeachment is imminent. May basbas na.

I strongly condemn the impeachment of the Vice President and many of our people consider this latest sinister move as a grave insult to the more than 32 million Filipinos who showed love and trust to Inday Sara.

This is an obvious diversion from the real issues plaguing the country. No amount of optics can mask the bangungot presidency our people have to endure, where poverty is at its highest in 21 years and hunger at its peak since the COVID-19 lockdown.

I reiterate: there is already proof beyond reasonable doubt that VP Sara has not done any impeachable offense. The Commission on Audit (COA) recently gave its unqualified opinion on its report regarding the Office of the Vice President’s financial transactions.

What we are witnessing is the Marcos Forever grand design. According to sources in the House, around P150 million (P25 million allocation for AKAP, P25 million for AICS and P100-million infrastructure care of the DPWH and for later release via Office of the President/DBM) have been allegedly given to those who signed the impeachment. I am, therefore, not surprised that from only six congressmen who endorsed the impeachment of VP Sara on Jan. 8, 215 signatures have been gathered on Feb. 5.

Feb. 5 is Happy Crocs Day indeed. Do the math: 215 congressmen x P150 million, or around P32.2 billion of taxpayer’s money. If this is true, the Office of the Vice President is now the most expensive position in the Philippines.

My deep admiration for VP Sara grew even more when I saw a lovely photo of her during the night of her impeachment, buying flowers in the market – unstressed, chill, nonchalant. While the Marcos loyalists, the Kakampinks and the Reds are all gloating as a result of VP’s impeachment, Inday Sara is at peace, at the same time ready for the long battle ahead, where the next battleground is the Senate.

The composition of the 20th Congress is crucial. We must reject the modern-day Judases in Congress. Meanwhile, Ensaymada trolls called Duterte-allied political and social media influencers and vloggers as “duwag” for not appearing in the House TriCom inquiry.

Let us draw the line between bravery and stupidity. Why would these Duterte-linked influencers fight a battle at the enemy’s territory? From the very start, they have been prejudged during the privilege speech of Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers as narco and POGO vloggers.

As the group counsel, the action of the House TriCom is “unconstitutional.” Regulating the content of the social media posts is in conflict with the constitutional prohibition that no law shall be passed that shall abridge the freedom of speech and of expression.

The acts of the House TriCom create a chilling effect on the exercise of constitutional freedoms. They constitute prior restraint on the right to free speech.

On my part, I find it no coincidence that the conduct of the joint inquiry happened the day before VP Sara’s impeachment. As I have said on numerous occasions, this latest action is part of the political witch hunt to silence the Dutertes and their outspoken allies. If the TriCom’s goal is to draft new laws, why are the Marcos Jr. administration’s critics the only ones called to this hearing in aid of legislation? How then can we expect fairness from this Kangaroo Court?

There is no other remedy but to find relief with the Supreme Court, where these embattled influencers and vloggers would have a fair fight. Lalaban tayo para sa bayan!