THE HALLS of the House of Representatives of the Philippines once again found themselves at the center of one of the most politically charged events in Philippine history: the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Many Filipinos were already sensing the nature of the outcome of the debate as reports spread of the securing of the numbers in the House to impeach the Vice President. Therefore, the focus of the legislators began to shift from the impeachment of the Vice President to the number of legislators who would support a move against her.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons that many Filipinos are so concerned with the political situation.
For the average Filipino, at least outside of the political circles of the Manila area, the impeachment of Vice President Duterte appears to be an attempt to eliminate her from Philippine politics altogether. The process of impeachment is supposed to occur in cases of a need for accountability of the politician in question.
In any democracy, no official should be above the scrutiny that is placed upon them to ensure that they are performing their duties appropriately and honestly on behalf of the people. However, if this process is to become political and utilized as an attempt to eliminate political opponents, then trust in the government and its politicians will inevitably fade.
For the supporters of the Duterte political movement, the impeachment seems all the more difficult to ignore.
At a time when the average Filipino is struggling with high rates of inflation, expensive rice, fuel price hikes, low wages, and general economic uncertainty, the political leaders of the nation are consumed with their internal power struggles.
Filipinos are frustrated by the continued struggles of groups like the jeepney drivers, small business owners, and even working-class individuals who are exhausted from the cost of living in the nation. Yet there does not seem to be any legislative attempts to alleviate the concerns of the nation’s people, but instead, there are efforts to continue the political warfare between the country’s politicians.
To the supporters of the Duterte political movement, the impeachment of the Vice President appears to be an attempt to eliminate the influence that the Dutertes will have within the country ahead into the next electoral cycle.
Sara Duterte is, to many Filipinos, one of the most politically influential individuals in the country today. Her supporters are deeply emotional individuals who feel a connection to the Vice President based upon the general perception of her political influence and strength. Thus, attacks on Sara Duterte by her political opponents are seen by these supporters as attempts to destroy the influence of a politician who threatens to expand that influence beyond what is considered appropriate by the country’s political elite.
This is, therefore, one of the reasons that the impeachment of Sara Duterte has become such a personal issue for many Filipinos.
Their supporters view the Vice President as a political target.
This is a perception that is difficult to ignore for those who understand the nature of politics in the Philippines.
Throughout the history of the nation, the concept of political friendship among politicians has been temporary at best. The same politicians who share a friendship within the political world may do so only as a means of gaining benefits from one another within their positions of power.
Thus, the impeachment of one politician by another does not seem surprising to those who understand the true nature of political relationships in the Philippines.
The impeachment of Sara Duterte has become, therefore, another example of the political warfare between politicians that has become prevalent within the Philippines today. While politicians fight over elections, they also fight over investigations, narratives in the media, and even the legislative system. Despite the struggles of the Filipino people, the politicians appear to be focused entirely on their own political struggles.
It is for these reasons that many Filipinos are beginning to question the sincerity of the impeachment of the Vice President.
Despite the fact that impeachment is a process that is utilized to ensure accountability of the politicians who serve the nation, the political establishment in the Philippines is beginning to be seen as focused only on political convenience rather than the public good.
Ironically, the political attacks against the Vice President may ultimately lead to an increase in her political influence.
History has shown that politicians who are persecuted within their countries end up becoming political martyrs for the supporters that they have gathered. The supporters of the targeted politician become even more emotionally invested in their leader’s political cause following the beginning of the attacks against that politician.
Furthermore, with the growth and popularization of social media platforms throughout the nation, the supporters of Sara Duterte have been able to rapidly spread the narrative that her impeachment is actually political revenge against the Vice President.
Thus, the politicians of the House of Representatives may have underestimated the power of such a perception of the impeachment within the Philippines.
For the Filipinos, although they may be unaware of the details of the impeachment, they are all too aware of the behavior of the politicians. They are aware of the focus of the politicians upon one another, rather than upon the issues that plague their nation.
What the Filipino people are longing for from their leaders is for the nation to have some level of unity after the political divisions that have plagued the country for so many years. Instead, however, the politicians continue their endless cycles of political warfare with one another to gain strength and power within the political world.
This is one of the main reasons that the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte feels so personally emotionally exhausting for the Filipino people.
Filipinos are weary of the political struggles between the country’s leaders.
Weary of the conflicts between politicians in the country.
Weary of the politicians who appear to be more interested in political struggles than in resolving the issues that face the nation.
The Filipino people are tired. Tired of the political struggles between the country’s politicians. Tired of the conflicts between politicians within the country. Tired of the politicians who are obsessed with one another rather than the people who live within the nation.
Despite the exhaustion of the Filipino people with the challenges of the nation’s politicians, it should be acknowledged that Sara Duterte still has the support of a significant portion of the Filipino people. The influence that she holds within the country cannot be ignored, regardless of the political views of the supporters of the opposition within the House of Representatives.
That influence extends beyond the political world to the emotions of the Filipino people. The support that she receives comes from the frustrations of the common citizens who are discontent with the politicians who rule the country today.
In a way, the impeachment of the Vice President has given voice not only to the legislative chambers of the country, but to the frustration of the common people as well.
For the people of the Philippines, then, the question is not just of whether the impeachment will prosper.
The real question for the Filipinos is what the impeachment of Sara Duterte reveals about the nature of the Philippine democracy today.
Are the politicians of the country genuinely focused on justice and the well-being of the people?
Or has the political system in the Philippines degenerated into a series of battles between politicians for power and influence?
Beyond the legislative chambers of the House of Representatives, beyond the speeches being made today by those in Congress, the voices of the Filipinos continue to be felt in the challenges that they face daily in their lives. Therefore, while the politicians continue to debate the impeachment of Sara Duterte, the people continue to ask one of the most important questions of their nation’s leaders:
Who is fighting for the people of the Philippines?
Kethelle I. Sajonia is a college instructor at the University of Southeastern Philippines, Mintal Campus. She is currently in the final phase of her Doctor of Communication degree at the University of the Philippines. Her research interests include inclusivity, education, communication, and social development. She actively engages in scholarly research and community-based initiatives that advocate for inclusive and transformative communication practices.
