
THE General Alliance of Workers Association (Gawa) in Bacolod City condemned the recent Senate decision to remand the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte back to the House of Representatives.
Wennie Sancho, Gawa secretary-general, said this move has been perceived as a blatant attempt to shield the Dutertes from accountability undermining the very foundations of democracy.
"It is in fact a mockery of democracy," Sancho said.
He added it is a manifestation of the Senate's failure to serve the people.
On Tuesday, June 10, the Senate, sitting as the impeachment court, voted 18-5 with no abstentions to return the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House of Representatives.
The 18 senators who voted in favor were Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, Lito Lapid, Mark Villar, Ronald dela Rosa, Bong Go, Robinhood Padilla, Imee Marcos, JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva, Pia Cayetano, Bong Revilla, Francis Tolentino, Jinggoy Estrada, Cynthia Villar, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Raffy Tulfo.
Voting against the motion were Senators Risa Hontiveros, Koko Pimentel, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe and Sherwin Gatchalian.
Sancho said the Senate's action have demonstrated a clear disregard for the principles of justice, transparency and accountability.
"By prioritizing the interests of the powerful over those of the people, the Senate has forfeited its legitimacy and trust. We, the people, can no longer rely on this institution to uphold the rule of law and protect our rights," Sancho said.
He said the actions of the 18 Senators to remand the Articles of Impeachment against VP Sara Duterte have sparked widespread outrage and criticism.
Sancho added that their actions have shown that they are unworthy to be called senator-judges.
Sancho said they have failed to uphold the Constitution and protect the rights of the people, instead they have acted as wolves in sheep's clothing using their positions to shield the powerful from accountability.
"In the light of this betrayal, we call for the impeachment of these 18 Senators including Senate President Escudero. They have demonstrated a clear disregard for the principles of democracy and rule of law. It is time for them to be held accountable for their actions," he said.
He added that their actions have shown that they are not fit to wear the robes of senator-jJudges. They should be stripped of their positions and held accountable for their betrayal of the Filipino people.
Sancho said that the people deserve better and that it is time for leaders to prioritize the nation's interests over personal and political agenda.
"This decision has significant implications for the country's democracy, as it suggests that the Senate is more interested in protecting the powerful than in holding them accountable," Sancho said.
As the nation grapples with the implications of this decision, he said it is clear that the Senate's action will have far-reaching consequences for the country's democracy and rule of law.
"The people must remain vigilant and demand greater accountability from their leaders. Let us not allow this mockery of justice to be perpetuated by these pretenders using their legislative power by wearing the garb of sanctity by clothing themselves with righteousness in trampling our constitutional rights which they had sworn to defend," he added. (MAP)