WILL ANY of the new impeachment cases filed against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte finally succeed in the Lower House and be submitted to and tried by the Senate sitting as an impeachment Court?
Frankly, we have no idea. However, many sectors of the Philippine population believe it will go to the Senate. And while the VP is calling it political harassment and that it has no evidence, other sectors also believe that Sara knows fully well that it has.
These latter sectors believe that the VP is issuing statements and recording videos to make it appear that she is the “victim” in the political maneuver to keep her away from the road to the presidency in 2028.
According to the latter sectors, the VP is using the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) as proof that her accusers have no grounds against her.
On the other hand, the same sectors are insisting that the COA findings could be one of the most devastating pieces of evidence against her.
Whether or not Sara’s claim of zero evidence against her and whether allegations of misuse of her P125 confidential funds are true, the people will only come to judge for themselves after her impeachment is tried by the senator-judges.
So, we have to wait a little longer. After all, the impeachment process has just been initiated by the House Committee on Justice.
With the latest report of some congressmen allegedly shifting support a little over two years before the next Presidential elections in 2028, the outcome of the decision of the plenary in the VP’s impeachment may end up a totally different story.
***********************************
So, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Davao Oriental finally decided to revoke the permit of the company that is extracting mineral ores in an area adjacent to the world-famous Mt. Hamiguitan mountain range?
For this act of the Provincial legislative body of Eastern Davao Province, the Interfacing Development Interventions and Sustainability (IDIS) is rejoicing. Certainly, because the revocation is one win in the organization’s battle against those who are bringing destruction to the environment.
It is our take, however, that the IDIS rejoicing may not be for long. Why? It is because the mining company operating in the area found the place to be well-endowed with the mineral ores it is looking for. The ores are directly shipped to their foreign markets where the processing is done.
And it cannot be denied that the mining company has already sunk a huge amount of money into its operation over the past few years. It surely will find ways to recover its capital.
It’s more likely that the mining firm will leave no stone (may be ore) unturned just to continue its lucrative operation.
How it will do it is for everyone concerned with the environment to imagine.
******************************
A detained man arrested for possession and sale of illegal drugs managed to escape from the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Custodial facility in Camp Leonor.
As a consequence, six policemen tasked to secure the facility are now relieved. Well, the escapee must be one no ordinary detainee. Imagine, he was able to outsmart all the guards of the detention facility very well inside the camp compound!
While the escapee was not able to dodge the CCTV installed in the vicinity while executing his daring escape, he succeeded in getting out of the compound. He must possibly be the Houdini reborn.
Levity aside, according to the news about his escape, DCPO acting director Mannan Muarip admitted knowing that the custodial facility has “structural weaknesses.” Did the DCPO director discover the “weaknesses” after the escape only, or did he see them before?
If the good colonel noticed the “structural weaknesses” before, it is unfortunate that he failed to do what was necessary to prevent any escape. If he discovered it after the escape then he should endeavor to correct the “weaknesses” so that no other detainee will be able to exploit it later.
As to the relief of the six policemen, the disciplinary measure given them is more than worth their omission. They could have possibly been literally sleeping on the job.
