Loyal Duterte supporters bitterly decry the supposed double standard in the treatment of the impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.
They point out that while the case against Marcos was summarily dismissed by the House of Representatives at the committee level, the one against the vice president progressed steadily, with another full hearing scheduled later this month.
Well, breaking news: Marcos is not the only president who survived an impeachment attempt with nary a scratch. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo faced multiple impeachment charges for election fraud (“Hello Garci”, remember?), corruption and human rights abuses but all of these were killed instantaneously by the House.
Benigno Aquino III was likewise slapped with impeachment complaints in 2014 and 2015 for his role in the Mamasapano massacre and in the implementation of the Disbursement Acceleration Program. The cases were likewise dismissed without ceremony.
The DDS faithful do not even have to look far for example. Rodrigo Duterte’s reign was marked by impeachment complaints for extrajudicial killings, and betrayal of public trust but they were all thrown out quickly and without a sweat.
In each case, the reason was political. Arroyo, Aquino and Duterte had control of the House. Erap Estrada did not, and thus became the only president to be tried by the Senate. (Although he was not convicted, Estrada was nevertheless still ousted by People Power after the Senate refused to open a second envelope that was supposed to contain more incriminating evidence against him.)
Other impeachable officials like Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista and Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno were non-politicians and thus did not have any influence over Congress. Not surprisingly, their impeachment cases passed or were about to pass the House.
Gutierrez and Bautista resigned before impeachment trial could proceed. Sereno was preparing for legal battle in the Senate until the Supreme Court intervened and removed their chief through a process that was unprecedented and controversial.
Unlike Sereno, Duterte obviously does not want to go through a trial. She managed to avoid one last year, with the help of the then Senate President, and eventually, the Supreme Court. Will she be able to do the same this year?
Not, if the Lower House can have it their way. Their so-called preliminary investigation is unprecedented but its purpose is evident: access to records that they think is damning to the vice president such as her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and net worth (SALN) and bank documents.
If they can do that, they shall have already won even if the Senate again refuses to try her.