Impeaching Sara out of office: It won’t happen
THE wolf pack of congressmen mobilized by the Marcos-Romualdez cabal are wasting their time and (taxpayers’) money plotting to impeach Sara Duterte out of office as vice president to prepare the ground for a Marcos 2.0 regime.
It won’t happen for one reason, among many reasons. Sara has inherited some of her father’s charisma, which explains her landslide win in the 2022 elections. She doesn’t have it 100 percent, but even just 50 percent of her father’s charisma is enough to stop a move to impeach her from office. Most of the senators who would vote on her ouster in an impeachment trial won’t dare cross a vice president with a popularity propelled by her father’s charisma.
This is especially so since the reputation of those who would try to impeach her — the House of Representatives and the Senate — are at the lowest in our nation’s history. Everyone knows that the Lower House, especially, has always been the most willing tool of whoever is president.
Indeed, a friend remarked while we were watching a hearing of four merged committees trying hard to blacken Sara’s reputation, pointing to one of her arrogant interrogators: “That asshole was asking P5 million from me for him to support the government-funded project in his district that I was bidding for.”
Sara herself hit the nail on the head when she rhetorically asked, referring to Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro: “What’s this woman convicted of child abuse doing here interrogating me?” Indeed, in past more decent Congresses, Castro would have been removed from her post or even just suspended, out of respect for the judiciary as a co-equal branch in our republican system.
A defiant Sara without any sign of nervousness or doubt, by her lonesome facing a phalanx of 37 political pygmies that included communist cadres — that’s a scene any politician would have wished for himself.
Assassins
But of course, the Marcos-Romualdez clan sees such representatives, elected to office by the remaining communist supporters in this country, as ideal character assassins. It is such a shameless scene in which communist-backed congresswomen are insulting the vice president — elected by the most number of Filipinos ever, 32 million — in the halls of Congress.
The cases of corruption and inefficiency in the Education Department the Marcos-Romualdez cabal are concocting against her? The charismatic former US president Trump had an accurate insight, even a ghastly one: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?”
I asked an artificial-intelligence app to define charisma, since such software is quite good at summarizing existing knowledge of a topic better than google or other search engines:
“Charisma is a compelling charm or magnetism that inspires devotion or admiration from others. It’s often described as an innate quality that allows individuals to attract, influence and lead people effectively. Charismatic individuals are typically able to inspire trust, loyalty and passion, often making them persuasive and influential leaders.”
The Marcos-Romualdez clan doesn’t study history and think that impeaching a vice president is a walk in the park, as long as they can feed these members of Congress with pork-barrel-like funding and promise them bigger funds for next year, crucial for their reelection.
Corona
Only two officials have been impeached out of office in our recent history, Chief Justice Renato Corona and Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, in her case an expansion of the notion of impeachment, as she was removed from her post in a process known as a quo warranto petition, a legal action challenging her eligibility to hold office.
But Corona and Sereno weren’t elected by the people, who therefore viewed it, as it were, from a distance as it didn’t involve negating their votes. President Estrada was impeached in 2000. He was unlikely though to be voted guilty as he enjoyed the solid support of 11 of the senators, precluding the 16 needed to impeach him out of office. The cabal that sought his ouster — I suspect it was led by forces of Fidel Ramos, supported by the US, who felt that Estrada was going after Ramos on corruption charges — turned to a political strategy they had become experts at, middle-class mob rule disguised as “People Power.”
Filipinos look at the act of voting as approaching a sacred act, perhaps because such voting is the only instance when they can have a taste of the “democracy” they have been told is our political system. They will not tolerate the removal of Sara, whom 32 million Filipinos voted for by just 16 senators.
Contrary to the myth that the February 22-25 EDSA Revolution occurred because Filipinos finally revolted in anger over the corruption and human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship, the reality is that it was the perception that there was massive cheating by the regime in the “snap elections” for the presidential and vice presidential post of Feb. 7, 1986, that got Filipinos to join the People Power Revolution.
It was a brilliant plot by US strategists who convinced Marcos to call snap elections to prove he still commanded the people’s trust, and therefore continued American support. They then got the Western press to cover the elections in droves, who of course, focused on the cheating in far-flung areas that is really common in Philippine elections.
Arithmetic
The Marcos-Romualdez regime should do some arithmetic, so they’ll realize impeaching Sara out of office won’t happen. To impeach Sara out of office, they would need 16 senators. Senators Imee, de la Rosa, Go, Cayetano and Tolentino — the latter four owing their election to Duterte — won’t vote against her. Just four more senators going for Sara, and the plotters won’t get the 16 votes needed to find her guilty.
I can really see only Hontiveros, Jinggoy and Lapid voting her guilty — for various reasons. The other senators aren’t really excited about having Chiz Escudero becoming president if Sara is removed from office, and Marcos becomes incapacitated due to some illness, most probably the failure of his remaining single kidney.
They also won’t be keen to cooperate with the Marcos-Romualdez clan, since there’s likely won’t be a bribe of P200 million per senator for their designated projects, the Aquino III regime gave senators to vote Corona guilty. Aquino III or more precisely his budget secretary, Butch Abad, had to invent the so-called Disbursement Acceleration Program to raise the funds for this. I can’t see a fund this government can invent to replicate the Aquino III bribes.
Our country has a mountain of problems needing to be solved, and this would need Congress to pass critical legislation. Dear congressmen, please just do your jobs and forget this hopeless, foolish impeach-Sara project.
Was Duterte really charismatic? Here’s a fair judgement of this, which uses all the information available on the internet, that is, an artificial-intelligence app, to which I posed the question, “Who were the charismatic Filipino leaders?” It’s answer, other than Jose Rizal:
1. Ferdinand Marcos Sr. (1965–1986)
Charisma: Marcos was a highly charismatic leader who captivated Filipinos with his intelligence, strong public speaking skills and promises of national progress and modernization. His “Bagong Lipunan” (New Society) ideology appealed to many during the early years of his presidency, and he portrayed himself as a strong, visionary leader.
Impact: Despite the authoritarian rule under martial law and accusations of corruption, Marcos maintained a significant following among Filipinos, many of whom still believe in his vision of the country.
2. Corazon Aquino (1986–1992)
Charisma: Corazon “Cory” Aquino, though initially seen as a reluctant leader, became a symbol of democracy after the People Power Revolution that ousted Marcos. Her humility, calm demeanor and role as the widow of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino made her an inspiring figure who embodied hope and moral authority.
Impact: She is remembered for her integrity and as the leader who restored democracy in the Philippines, inspiring millions with her courage in standing up to dictatorship.
3. Manuel L. Quezon (1935–1944)
Charisma: Quezon, the first President of the Philippine Commonwealth, was known for his eloquence and commanding presence. He had the ability to inspire nationalism and was a key figure in the movement toward Philippine independence from the United States.
Impact: His charismatic leadership helped solidify the Filipino identity and strengthened the push for sovereignty, leaving a lasting legacy as a national hero.
4. Ramon Magsaysay (1953–1957)
Charisma: Magsaysay was deeply admired for his populist approach and his accessibility to the common people. Known as the “Man of the Masses,” his humility and honesty won the hearts of Filipinos across the country. He had a strong connection with the rural poor and promoted social justice and reforms.
Impact: His leadership style and approach to governance were so well-received that he became a beloved figure, with many Filipinos believing in his genuine care for the people.
5. Rodrigo Duterte (2016–present)
Charisma: Duterte’s tough-talking, no-nonsense approach, coupled with his image as a “man of the people,” has earned him a highly loyal following. His plain-spoken style and strongman persona resonate with many Filipinos who see him as a decisive leader willing to take on difficult challenges, such as crime and corruption.
Impact: Duterte’s charisma has been pivotal in maintaining his popularity despite controversial policies, particularly his war on drugs, which has drawn both local support and international criticism.”
Important to note on this list, is that even after they would be ousted from their charisma-pedestal, there remained embers of that charisma which would be fanned into a full-blown flame, as in the case of the dictator’s son assuming power 36 years later, after he was ousted.
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Impeaching Sara out of office: It won’t happen
Source: Breaking News PH
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