THE General Alliance of Workers Association (Gawa) in Bacolod City condemned the resolution passed by the Senate junking the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Wennie Sancho, Gawa secretary-general, said the approval of the motion to archive the impeachment case had sparked outrage among the labor movement, with Gawa calling it a "fast-track legal maneuver" by the 19 senators allied with the Duterte clan.
“It is like throwing the case into the garbage, an insult to the Filipino workers, a way of sidestepping accountability and transparency in governance,” Sancho said.
On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Senate voted to archive the articles of impeachment against Duterte, following the Supreme Court’s decision declaring her impeachment unconstitutional.
By swiftly archiving the case, Sancho said Gawa believes due process was circumvented, leaving unanswered questions and unaddressed concerns about the implications for justice and the rule of law, particularly regarding the integrity of the legal proceedings.
“It is a stark reminder that accountability can be sidestepped in order to skirt the issue of human rights violations, graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust,” Sancho said.
He added that the Senate is sending a message that the people's concerns can be easily dismissed.
“We lost faith in the justice system and the institutions, particularly the Senate, whose bias in favor of Duterte is obvious,” Sancho said.
Sancho noted that the 19 senators who voted to archive the impeachment case against Vice President Duterte have done a great disservice to the people.
“Instead of the Senate, which is considered a pillar of justice and democracy, its loyalty is not to the people but to the Duterte family. They had become the protectors and defenders of Vice President Duterte, shielding her from prosecution in the impeachment case,” Sancho said.
Meanwhile, Lawyer Michael Wesley Poa, a member of Duterte's legal team, in a statement on Wednesday, said the Defense Team acknowledges the Senate’s decision to adhere to the Supreme Court ruling and archive the articles of impeachment.
"Our focus now remains on submitting our comment, in compliance with the High Court’s order," Poa said. (MAP)