Your choices in the coming elections should depend on many factors, and one of the most important ones is how your congressman voted in the impeachment case against the vice president.
The first signatory of the fourth impeachment cases against VP Sara was Congressman Sandro Araneta Marcos. It could only mean that his dad the president and his mom the first lady have given the green light. This means the BBM majority coalition and those who are too afraid to lose their pork barrel have affixed their signatures, most of whom didn’t even read the articles of impeachment.
I’m surprised Congressman Duke Frasco signed the impeachment, knowing that his wife, Department of Tourism secretary, was the spokeswoman of VP Sara in the past. How time and influence can be fleeting. For the sake of delicadeza, I expected him to inhibit but he was apparently pressured by the speaker, having been chosen as the only deputy speaker from Cebu.
I salute Congressman Pablo John Garcia and Congresswoman Cutie del Mar for refusing to follow the forces of the administration. Noy Pabling must be proud of his son and my old friend Raul del Mar must be happy his daughter has balls enough to withstand the pressures of the Palace. I’m appalled Congressman Edsel Galeos danced to the music and signed the complaint because the speaker has given him so much favor. And yet, during the Duterte years, Galeos was as rabid a pro-Duterte ally. I think Junjun Davide will defeat him in the 2nd District.
Congressman Edu Rama is for impeachment, along with Janice Salimbangon, Rhea Gullas, Emmarie Ouano Dizon, and Daphne Lagon who are all in the bandwagon of the administration. Of course, Raymund Mendoza of TUCP supports the impeachment. His niece, Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt, is the wife of the speaker and is also a partylist member of the House herself. Husband and wife, it's all in the family. Just like the Lagons, Tulfos, Revillas, et al, ad infinitum.
Fidel Nograles signed the impeachment but Margarita Nograles who is running against Polong Duterte didn’t. The wife of Sen. Raffy Tulfo, Jocelyn, and his son, Ralph, supported the impeachment but Raffy's brother Erwin, the candidate, refused, reasoning that since he’s sure to win, he’s going to be a senator-judge and he wouldn’t appear to be prejudging VP Sara. Wow, sure to win, huh?
GMA, the vice president's fairy godmother, whom she installed as speaker after ousting her own father's close friend, Bebot Alvarez, refused to sign the impeachment. Camille Villar, unsure of her senatorial bid, also refused to follow her own party's stand. Villar is visibly and desperately in need of the Mindanao vote to salvage her fledgling candidacy. The Revillas of Cavite, mother and sons, refused to support the impeachment.
The Chinese-surnamed members of Congress also supported the impeachment. Almost all the family dynasties are for impeachment, like the Marcoses and Singsons of Ilocos, the Ortegas of La Union, the Dys of Isabela, the Garins and the Defensors of Iloilo, the Caris of Leyte, the Fuentebellas of Bicol, the Aquinos of Agusan, the Barbers of Surigao, the Ecleos of Dinagat, the De Venecias of Pangasinan, the Cojuangcos of Tarlac, the Romulos of Pasig, the Olivareses of Parañaque, the Garcias of Bataan, and the Robes dynasty of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
At least four senators vowed to oppose the impeachment: Senator Imee Marcos, Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa, and the most pro-Duterte of them all, Robinhood Padilla. But I’m not sure if Imee, Bong, and Bato will stay in the Senate. If they lose, only Padilla shall stand alone to defend VP Sara. The Dutertes have lost Tol Tolentino who changed his color and jumped to the bandwagon of the Palace.
The Makabayan Bloc was forced to sign the fourth impeachment case after the House secretary general took forever to act on the first three impeachment complaints. It now appears that such an uncharacteristic foot dragging by the House secretariat was part of the script to explode an atomic bomb on February 5, a few days before Congress adjourned.
And so, the die is cast. The BBM camp has crossed the Rubicon. The lines are drawn. There’s no more turning back. I’m happy a constitutional process will again entertain the masses starting June 2, when the next Congress resumes.
And I’m excited that one of my former students in UST, Congressman Lorenz Defensor, 3rd District of Iloilo, has been chosen as one of the prosecutors. If only for him, I shall be watching from the Senate impeachment court gallery.