Palace Denies Blocking Impeachment, But Strongly Recommends Everyone Chill Out

By Louis ‘Barok’ C Biraogo — January 27, 2025

AH, Philippine politics: where the laws are optional, the drama is mandatory, and the latest showstopper is the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. With a plot straight out of a political telenovela—think betrayal, finger-pointing, and a liberal sprinkling of ‘Who, me?’ moments—it’s democracy on the edge, or perhaps off the rails entirely

Let’s start with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who insists he’s not blocking impeachment—he’s just strongly suggesting it’s a bad idea. It’s like your tita saying, “You’re free to marry whoever you want… but have you considered becoming a priest instead?” The President’s reasoning? Impeachment would “distract from the agenda.” What agenda, you ask? Well, that’s confidential. Just like the VP’s funds.

Speaking of confidential funds, the VP is accused of misusing millions of pesos meant for, well, confidential things. What exactly are confidential funds? They’re like baon for politicians, except instead of being spent on merienda, they mysteriously vanish into the ether. It’s the kind of financial creativity that would make even the most seasoned sari-sari store accountant blush.

But don’t worry, the Palace assures us that the President’s anti-impeachment stance is just his “opinion.” You know, like how Manny Pacquiao’s boxing career was just a “hobby.” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin reminds us that Congress and the Presidency are coequal branches of government. Coequal, of course, meaning “equal, but one is more equal than the other.” It’s like saying Jollibee and McDonald’s are equal—technically true, but we all know who has the better spaghetti.

Meanwhile, the impeachment complaints have been languishing in the Office of the House Secretary General since December. It’s almost as if they’ve been misplaced between the “Inbox” and the “Circular File.” House Secretary General Reginald Velasco is waiting for a fourth complaint before taking action, because apparently, three complaints are like pandesal—better in bulk.

The Makabayan bloc, ever the voice of reason in this circus, has accused the President of being the “biggest stumbling block” to accountability. But let’s be real—when your impeachment complaints are stuck in bureaucratic quicksand, it’s hard not to feel like you’re shouting into a void. It’s like trying to order GrabFood during a typhoon: you know it’s not coming, but you keep hitting “refresh” anyway.

And then there’s the Iglesia ni Cristo, which held a massive rally to urge lawmakers to focus on “more important issues” and avoid politicking. Because nothing says “we’re above politics” like organizing a highly political rally to influence political decisions. The irony is so thick you could cut it with a bolo.

President Marcos, ever the pragmatist, has argued that impeachment would be impractical because lawmakers are too busy campaigning for midterm elections. Because nothing says “democratic accountability” like postponing constitutional processes for the sake of politicking. Priorities, people!

In the end, this whole debacle feels less like a serious political process and more like a game of Sisi Bato-Bato Pick. The President isn’t blocking impeachment—he’s just strongly suggesting it’s a bad idea. Congress isn’t ignoring the complaints—they’re just waiting for the right moment (which, coincidentally, never seems to come). And the VP? She’s just sitting there, quietly confident that the system will do what it does best: absolutely nothing.

So, where does that leave us? With a government that talks a big game about accountability but seems allergic to actually enforcing it. With a President who respects due process but only when it’s convenient. And with a public that’s left wondering if the real scandal isn’t the misuse of confidential funds but the fact that such funds exist in the first place.

In the immortal words of Juan Ponce Enrile, there will be “long-term consequences” if due process isn’t followed. But let’s be honest—when has that ever stopped anyone? In the Philippines, the only thing longer than the list of political scandals is the list of excuses for why nothing can be done about them.