Senate

FOR THE past few days, the Senate has been the focal point of the nation’s attention. News reports have been filled with discussions of the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Additionally, there have been debates regarding the legal arguments, the political positions of those involved in the Senate, and the debates amongst lawmakers. Social media platforms have also become the site where individuals of both Vice President Duterte’s support and critique share their thoughts on the issues and the proceedings. Yet, aside from these discussions, debates, and shareable posts, many Filipinos are simply watching the proceedings of the Senate.

As citizens, many of us show up every day to prepare for work, send our children to school, run our businesses, teach our classes, and complete the various responsibilities that are required of individuals to lead productive lives. Yet, in the midst of these essential endeavors, we are continually treated to Senate news. There are upcoming hearings. There are new legal arguments. There are more debates between lawmakers. Yet, for all of these developments, there is a growing sense of confusion among many citizens as to what, if anything, we are meant to do in response to these issues within the government.

Perhaps one of the most easily overlooked realities of many citizens is that while there are certainly problems within the government that should be addressed and discussed, the majority of citizens feel very, very distant from these issues. We are not lawyers. We are not politicians. We are not constitutional law experts. Yet, many of us find ourselves in a position of helplessness as the Senate continues to discuss and debate issues that have little relation to the lives of the average Filipino.

As citizens, many of us begin to feel powerless in the face of such issues. It is easy to become frustrated with the issues that our nation faces. It is easy to become angry at the responses to those issues by those in power. Yet, many of us also begin to feel tired of the never-ending political controversies that plague the nation. The number of political controversies that occur daily in the Philippines has contributed to the political fatigue that many citizens share.

Perhaps this is one of the greatest concerns for many individuals – the helplessness of citizens in relation to the nation’s problems. While the government is tasked with resolving the issues that exist within the nation and presenting solutions to those problems, the citizens should remain engaged in those discussions. Yet, many of us feel as if we are disconnected from the government and the issues that they discuss. Thus, perhaps the greatest challenge for citizens is not the issues themselves, but how to remain responsible citizens despite the overwhelming nature of many of those issues.

While it may seem unlikely, there are actions that each individual can take to contribute to the strength of our democracy. Even if we cannot attend the Senate debates, we can use our voices to share information appropriately online. We can work to listen to those with different perspectives without reacting to their opinions. We can work to continue to educate ourselves regarding the workings of our democracy.

Additionally, we can continue to exercise our right to vote in various elections. While these actions may seem very different from the Senate debates and legal proceedings, there is still value in the efforts of each citizen to remain a responsible, contributing member of our nation’s democracy.

It is understandable, then, the frustrations of many Filipinos. From farmers who are concerned for market prices for their crops to teachers who are concerned for the education of their students, and even workers who are struggling to afford the goods in their nation, it is understandable for each of these groups to feel frustration in the Senate debates.

Yet, perhaps there is a lesson to be learned in the Senate debates of the past few days regarding each of our roles as citizens of the nation. While many of us may not have power over determining the outcomes of the Senate debates of the past few days, we do have power over how we respond to those debates. 

In a world where it is easy to ignore the problems of our nation or to become overwhelmed by their seemingly intractable nature, perhaps it is also important to recognize that even in the face of these problems, our role as citizens continues to matter.

While the Senate continues to make history today, the future of the democracy of the Philippines will not be determined within the government’s halls alone. Rather, the future of our democracy will also be determined by the individuals within our homes, our classrooms, our workplaces, and within the conversations that connect Filipinos to one another.

Thus, as the nation continues to watch the developments in the Senate, perhaps one of the questions that should be asked by each Filipino is the following: When it appears that the problems of the nation are larger than ourselves, and when the solutions to those problems appear to lie beyond our reach, how do we continue to believe that our role as citizens of the nation of Philippines still matters? Perhaps the answer is found in recognizing that our democracy is not built only by those with power within the nation’s government. Instead, it is also built by those with the will and responsibility to remain citizens of the nation.

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.