By Farah G. Decano

 

I  could not fathom how much deep pain Vice President Sara Z. Duterte is in right now.  Her father, the former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, is most likely seething in anger while blabbering, “I told you so.”

Four years ago, she was merely keen on running for re-election as mayor of Davao City. Here she is, at present, charged by the Republic of the Philippines for acts violative of the Constitution. What happened?

It was in 2021 when she was visited several times by Senator Imee Marcos who at times tagged along her brother, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr (BBM).  They were trying to persuade  her as the latter’s running mate.  Despite her father’s objection, the rebel in Sara prevailed and agreed to run with BBM. She did not mind the surveys that showed her leading among the presidentiables. She must have been promised the heavens, perhaps tantamount to co-presidency,  that she  chose to abandon her earlier plan of just staying in Davao City.  They formed the  “UNITEAM” and won the 2022 elections.

From the grapevine, we learned that the Duterte people in government were quickly  eased out after their assumption in office.  Tension between President Marcos and the Vice President started early. A few months after their term commenced, vloggers identified with the latter began their scathing attacks against the former and his wife.  Later, we found out from VP Sara herself, that President Marcos had broken his promise. She said that she no longer had easy access to the Presidential Chopper that would ferry her from Manila to Mindanao.

VP Sara’s kryptonite is the confidential funds.  She used to enjoy hundreds of millions of confidential funds in Davao City.  Methinks that a bigger amount was pledged to her by President Marcos Jr.  among other privileges as a reward for running with him. She was most likely more than shocked when, suddenly in 2023, congressmen and congresswomen ganged up on her on the use of confidential funds.  No one questioned her on this matter in Davao City before. She was used to having a a free hand with the public money

“I thought BBM and I had an agreement,” she probably told herself.  The President offered no protection to her against the congressional inquiry.  He allowed the members of the House of Representatives to investigate her.   To VP Sara, maybe she imagined herself to be beyond accountability because this was part of BBM’s bargain.  To BBM, perhaps he offered VP Sara the confidential funds with the assumption that  she would follow  the usual accounting rules and procedures.  What a costly misunderstanding!!!

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A few days ago, VP Sara was impeached by the House of Representatives, the third official to be in the same position. The burning issue now is, “If the 19th Congress ends by June 2025, will the impeachment process continue in the 20th Congress, particularly the Senate, or will it necessitate another filing of an impeachment complaint?

Some would argue that the  Senate is a continuing body, as so ruled in the landmark case of  Arnault vs. Nazareno.   Former  Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio is of the opinion, however, that the Upper House terminates at the end of the term and is no longer a continuing body.  He contended that the Arnault case does not apply because it was so decided under the 1935 constitution, wherein only one–third of the Senate was up for re-election. The remaining two-thirds were still present to attend to their usual business.  Others took the position that, since the Senate will  function as an impeachment court then the prohibitions against it as legislative do not apply.    

These are exciting times. Democracy is working.

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