Last Monday, both the House of Representatives and the Senate voted on separate but inextricably linked issues, a political drama that should enlighten voters two years before the 2028 national and local elections.
In the Lower House, 257 representatives voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on charges of plundering public funds and plotting to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. killed. Only 25 voted no while nine House members chose to abstain.
Presumably, our two representatives – TGP Partylist Cong. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr. and Lone District Cong. Eulogio Rodriguez – were among the majority.
All of them have their own reasons for choosing to send the second highest official of the land to trial in the Senate. Most of the people would probably guess that the need to stay in the majority coalition and its perks was what motivated them to vote “yes” while a number of congressmen, especially those with pending ethics complaints against them, likely did so to avoid being indicted in the remaining years of their term.
Preempting the House move, our supposedly honorable senators decided to oust Senate President Vicente Sotto III, installing Duterte ally Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano in his place.
The 13 senators who moved for the leadership change were his sister Pia Cayetano, Duterte aide Bong Go, Loren Legarda, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Mark Villar and sister Camille Villar, arrest warrant evader Bato dela Rosa, Sen. Sotto, who under the rules could not to vote for his continued stay, and the trio involved in the flood control anomalies – Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, and Joel Villanueva.
Voting to retain Sotto were Senators Bam Aquino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, Raffy Tulfo, and, of course due to the same Senate rule, Alan Peter Cayetano. Two of their colleagues – JV Ejercito and Juan Miguel Zubiri – abstained.
Despite the protestations of Senate President Cayetano, the coup was clearly staged to prevent the Upper House from finding the vice president guilty of the charges.
How the new majority will conduct the impeachment proceedings will influence the mood of the people and determine their reaction to their verdict, particularly if Duterte is cleared despite overwhelming evidence.
For now, the people, including the citizens of this Happy Island, would have to wait for the Senate to convene as an impeachment court and start the ball rolling so to speak.
Catandunganons cannot wash their hands and evade some blame for the presence of scoundrels and know-nothings in the Senate.
After all, in 2022, they voted Escudero number one among the Senate hopefuls with 79,000 votes, with now Senate President pro tempore Loren Legarda number three with 64,000 votes.
Placing in the top 20 in the island province were Robin Padilla (5th), Alan Peter Cayetano (6th), Joel Villanueva, Mark Villar (13th), JV Ejercito (14th), Jinggoy Estrada (15th) and Mike Zubiri (16th).
Three years later, four more pro-Duterte candidates were in the top 20 of the local electorate’s choices: Bong Go (3rd, with 55,000 votes), Pia Cayetano (7th), Camille Villar (13th), and Bato dela Rosa (19th).
It is interesting to note that these four ‘strangers’, expect for Bato, garnered more votes than Catanduanes’ former governor and congressman, Leandro Verceles Jr.
What happened last Monday in the Senate should hopefully serve as a reminder for the electorate to vote with their conscience and discernment in the 2028 elections.
It may be too early to pick our choices for the next batch of 12 senators but it is hoped that the people of Catanduanes will be able to remember what happened in May 2026.
With God’s guidance, they may be able to help restore the Senate’s image not as a refuge of scoundrels and fugitives from the law but as a government institution that is independent, fair and fearless, one that zealously protects the Constitution, promotes democratic values, and upholds the national interest.