LISTEN TO ARTICLESynthesized Narration • 0:00 / 0:00

Imagine waiting for something to happen, working on it for months and then all of a sudden its reverse and all your efforts were for nothing. Sounds like a tragic love story, right? Well it's not–this is the story of exploitation and a manipulation of the system in broad daylight. “Our fundamental law is clear: the end does not justify the means.” This was the opening statement provided in the Supreme Court’s press release on its decision to declare the Vice President’s impeachment trial as unconstitutional. This comes as the trial experienced delays, with the transition into the 20th Congress and other matters. The high court cited Article 11, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, otherwise known as the “One Year Rule” as grounds for unconstitutionality. The facts speak for themselves: Before all of this came to fruition, three articles were filed by civic groups sponsored by representatives in the liberal minority, of similar nature. The downside: it did not reach the two-thirds majority. However, when a member of the majority filed a fourth article, suddenly all hands were on deck as that complaint garnered a staggering 240 votes, surpassing the two-thirds threshold. According to Atty. Adel Tanao in her book, “Handbook on Impeachment Under the 1987 Constitution,” had this to say: “The High Tribunal, in G.R. No. 160261, construed the initiation of impeachment proceedings to mean the filing of the impeachment complaint.” In layman’s terms, an impeachment proceeding begins at the filing of the articles, not at the vote of the members of the house. This would mean that by filing the fourth article of impeachment, the entire process was already unconstitutional as clearly decided by the Supreme Court. So then what was the use of the 240 signatures? Why didn’t the representative vote on the first three articles impeach the VP, right then and there? I surely cannot answer this question, however I doubt that our representatives will answer this question truthfully. Everything is still a blur. Like the field, fogged by dust and gunfire of a failed war, we are dazed from the battle that was lost. While citizens across the nation debated on the actions and the legality of the Vice President, it seems as though we just wasted our words for nothing. But is this really the end? My friends, it is not. While, yes, the current proceedings cannot continue any further and there might even be a possibility of going back to square one. But this is a mere challenge to those in their high seats. If justice is truly what you seek then I challenge you to fix your errors, strengthen your defenses, and repeat the history of early February 2025. If accountability is truly what you seek, then my dear politicians, examine first your motives. This game of cat and mouse needs to end. If truly our goal is to hold the Vice President accountable for her actions, then let us be transparent and clear with our actions. Never would I’ve imagined that I would be fooled in broad daylight. I once more utter these words: My senators and congressmembers, I challenge you now. All of you have the power to fix what has been broken. To stay as blinded by riches, that to disregard the good of the nation, would be a disservice to the Filipino. As the saying goes: “Acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is a betrayal of this trust.” So examine yourselves once more, or not and face the clamour of the mob.