Dear Editor,

Every excuse to sideline the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in the Senate pales in comparison to the urgent need to heal the nation from its deep-seated, life-threatening ailments.

Congress must address this issue — arguably the issue of all issues (alongside the West Philippine Sea crisis) — at this critical juncture in our history. It has profound implications for the very bills and proposed laws our legislators claim to prioritize.

Once, the phrase “No time for love” went viral. Now, “No time for impeachment” has stirred public outrage. Senator Gatchalian, when will there be time for the most pressing matters in governance and public service?

With due respect, Senator, your recent remarks in a radio interview — “One of the complications I expect once the impeachment complaints reach the Senate is that there would be delays in taking up priority measures… because the concentration, the focus, research, everything would be utilized for the impeachment trial” — were disappointing.

Is impeachment insignificant to you? You stand tall at six feet, but your reasoning diminishes that stature.

What priorities are more urgent than addressing grave allegations against a top government official? When someone dear to us is critically ill, we rush to provide care without neglecting other responsibilities. Similarly, an impeachment trial need not paralyze legislative work. It requires wisdom, fairness and efficiency — free of needless delays, political maneuvering, and fruitless debates.

Focus on the bigger picture: fostering better public servants, building a stronger nation and securing a brighter future for Filipinos. Laws alone do not heal a nation; leadership does.

The accusations against the Vice President are serious. Yet, some senators claim they have no time for impeachment. Why is that? What priorities take precedence? Do we, the people, run on a different clock?

Rest assured, Filipinos know what time it truly is. It’s time to confront the demons of politics, corruption, and complacency that plague governance and public service.

The impeachment issue is not merely about the alleged sins of the Vice President. It transcends politics, striking at the core of justice and accountability. Sins can be forgiven, and politics can be reformed. But deliberate ignorance and inaction are inexcusable.

As the 16th-century playwright John Lyly wrote, “...as neere is Fancie to Beautie, as the pricke to the Rose, as the stalke to the rynde, as the earth to the roote.”

I admire Vice President Sara Duterte’s beauty — though beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Justice, however, is absolute.

“The grass withers and the flower falls, but the Word of our God stands forever.” — Isaiah 40:8

Reni Valenzuela

renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com