FIRST district Congressman Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, in a statement issued over the weekend, strongly manifested his belief that even before the one-year ban on filing another impeachment case against his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, majority members of the House of Representatives have already made their decision.
We agree fully with the Congressman on his claim. Yes, despitea Motion for Reconsideration filed by the then Martin Romualdez-led House in the decision of the Supreme Court to stop the Senate from proceeding with the trial of the VP’s impeachment due to some major defects in the process by the House, talks of reviving the impeachment never died down.
Meaning, if the House cannot secure a reconsideration by the Highest Court, those who initiated the filing openly said that a year or less of waiting for the period when another impeachment rap can be brought against VP Sara is not that long.
And they said they can even have more time to gather more evidence to strengthen the impeachment case against the Vice President. Yes, during the last months of 2025, when the Supreme Court was expected to rule on the Reconsideration motion filed by the House, it apparently preferred to wait for the ban period to expire.
From today, it is a little less than a month, and the House and whoever person or organization can bring another impeachment case against the second-highest official of the land. The next question is, “What if there are other supposedly non-government groups that are in reality supportive of the VP that will outsmart the rabidly anti-Sara House members?
Will the House make use of the same case as the basis of its own impeachment against the VP? Can the House shelve the earlier rap and proceed to introduce its own impeachment action? Can those impeachment cases initiated by private persons or organizations be consolidated with the one introduced by the House itself to form a much stronger charge?
Knowing the capability and shrewdness of many lawyers these days, including the counsel of the VP, it is not far-fetched that they will use the Supreme Court ruling on the 2024 impeach charge as one major argument to derail the planned refiling by the House at the end of the one-year ban.
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Some Congressmen who are identifying themselves as “the Minority” in the House of Representatives are reported to be contemplating filing an impeachment case against President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. The so-called House Minority, the most vocal of them, Rep. Edgar “Egay” Erice, did not mince words on this plan.
The “opposition” lawmaker said his group is now gathering appropriate evidence that may be used asa basis for the impeachment of the President.
So, if the Erice group will succeed in supporting its plan to impeach the President after it shall have reviewed several issues they claim to be bedeviling the Marcos, Jr. Presidency, the session hall of the Batasang Pambansa will be turned into an arena where both the President and the Vice President will be scrutinized to the fullest with every Filipino having the opportunity to know the country top two leaders in their best and worst.
Unfortunately, for Congressman Erice and his group, the biggest challenge is for them to get the number in order to pursue their desire to have the President impeached. If they feel they have no way of getting the support of the majority of their peers, then it would be the better part of their mouthed valor if they just forget about their intention.
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Several columns back, we delved into Davao City, fast becoming a “smugglers’ haven.” This take of our came after a series of apprehensions of smuggled cigarettes amounting to several millions of pesos in various locations in the city were made by combined law enforcement authorities.
And only late last week, smuggled cigarettes valued at more than ten million pesos were again apprehended and confiscated at a checkpoint in Barangay Panacan in the northern part of Davao City.
The contraband items were simply loaded in a wing van as if they were any cargo not subject to suspicion by authorities.
While the smuggled cigarettes were confiscated by law enforcers, thus making the incidents more of accomplishments for the government, still, with all of those happening in Davao City, the idea that there is ease in bringing and disposing of the contraband in the locality is symptomatic of laxity among civil and police authorities.
Others may even suspect connivance among top officials of the concerned government agencies and the smugglers.
Is there? Just asking.
