Two wars

Two wars are raging in the minds of many Filipinos right now.

First is the war of political dynasties. The 24-member Senate of the 20th Congress convenes in July 2025 as the Senate Impeachment Court (SIC) to try impeached Vice President Sara Duterte for seven alleged crimes enumerated in the seven Articles of Impeachment submitted by the House of Representatives last Feb. 5, 2025.

Second, the US-Iran war which began at 6:10 a.m. Sunday, June 22, our time, when US bombers dropped bombs on three nuclear facilities of Iran inside Iran – basically laboratories trying to enrich uranium to create fuel to explode a nuclear bomb.

Iran is supposed to have enriched enough uranium to build 10 nuclear bombs. In war, the US has learned after nuclear bombing Japan twice, the best weapon is a nuclear bomb, even in the age of AI and cyberwarfare.

But the best laboratory for making nukes is your brain. So when your place is about to be bombed, you run away or hide and you keep your nuke technology. The most advanced of Iran’s nuclear facility is in Fordow, which is 80 to 100 meters deep under a monument of a mountain. The mountain was bombed. So Donald Trump calls the damage “monumental.”

Since Iran controls a strategic strait called Hormuz where 20 to 30 percent of the world’s energy supposedly passes through, the post-bombing surge in crude prices has been significant (not yet monumental), by 5.7 percent to $81.40 per barrel of Brent crude on Monday, June 23. Stock markets around the world dropped about two percent in value, including our own PSEI. Tehran says the consequences of the US bombing will be “everlasting.”

In the case of Sara Duterte, the damage to our sense of morality and accountability and our democracy is also monumental – if the SIC refuses to try her at all, or if it tries her perfunctorily and declares her not guilty. Damage to our government will be “everlasting.”

Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who presided over the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012, himself has warned of the consequences of the SIC refusing to try VP Duterte. “If the impeachment trial does not proceed forthwith,” he told the Inquirer, speaking in Filipino, “no one will block or stop corruption in the nation. There will be no more barrier to stop the plunder of the people’s money (kaban ng bayan).”

“I am sad,” wept Enrile, “with many of our senators now…and many of them are my friends. The neophyte senators, they should be a little more diligent, learn what their duty really is, in the job they have gotten themselves into.”

Sara’s crimes include, in plain language, stealing people’s money which, if it amounts to at least P50 million and involves a series of acts, is called plunder. In fancier language, her crimes are called betrayal of public trust, a crime which only the 1987 Philippine Constitution knows about.

If you already have a girlfriend and then you get second girlfriend, that’s betrayal of private trust, of the first GF. It’s a sin but you don’t automatically go to jail for it. But you lose the first GF and you cannot get married to her. You are ousted as the BF.

In public office, betrayal of public trust covers offenses for which you don’t automatically go to jail but they render you unfit to remain in office. You are ousted. This rule applies to high officials – the president of the Philippines, the vice president, the chief justice and justices of the Supreme Court and constitutional commission officers. These people can be ousted, but not jailed, upon conviction by the SIC, for culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes or betrayal of public trust.

Sara is heir to the entrenched Davao dynasty, the Dutertes. The clan angered two venerable political dynasties, the Marcoses (represented by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who Sara threatened to kill, not once, but twice, on national tv), and the Romualdezes of House Speaker Martin Romualdez (who Sara also threatened to kill, in a buy-one, take-two deal with contracted assassins).

The Senate is a house of dynasties. There are FOUR sets of siblings – 1) Alan and Pia Cayetano, both lawyers; 2) JV Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada; 3) Mark and Camille Villar, both tycoons and 4) Erwin and Raffy Tulfo, both broadcasters.

Imee Marcos is a dynast in her own right, although she pretends to be the enemy of President Marcos Jr., her younger and only brother.

Former Senate president Migz Zubiri comes from a Bukidnon dynasty that spans three generations. But Migz is such a decent guy, one cannot but like him.

Win Gatchalian has a brother who is a mayor, Wes Gatchalian of Valenzuela City, and another brother who is a Cabinet secretary, Rex Gatchalian of DSWD.

The other senators are entertainment or broadcast dynasties – the Tulfo brothers, the Ejercito-Estrada brothers, Tito Sotto, Loren Legarda, Robin Padilla, Kiko Pangilinan and Lito Lapid. There are two policemen.

The Philippine Senate was founded in 1916 – 109 years ago. Majority of our 24 senators used to be lawyers – Bar-topnotcher lawyers. The old Senate produced Bar-topnotcher Philippine presidents. There were no dynasties then. The leadership pool was small but brilliant and excellent.

From 1935 to 1966, six of seven presidents were all Bar topnotchers. The Senate produced most of our good presidents – Manuel Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Manuel Roxas, Jose P. Laurel, Elpidio Quirino and Ferdinand Marcos Sr. They all cut their teeth in legislative diligence and leadership prowess as senators.

Today, our Senate is in danger of promoting or coddling plunderers. And mass killers on the side. Their damage to the nation could be monumental and everlasting.

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