All eyes are on the Senate President right now. Why? Because by leading the way, he decides on the fate of the Vice President. If trial commences, she may be perpetually disqualified from holding public office. If it doesn’t, she can run and even become the next President — potentially, at least.

To be honest, this particular impeachment is a bit of a legal conundrum. Since the Constitution provides that trial should immediately ensue once the articles of impeachment are transmitted, the Senate should convene as an impeachment court. The problem, though, is the lack of material time. In the case of former Chief Justice Corona, it spent almost five months before it rendered judgment. So, between now and June 30, there is hardly time left to convene and deliberate.

Now, should it decide to take action once the 20th Congress begins, it becomes an issue since some legal experts believe that unfinished business in the 19th Congress cannot be carried over to the next. However, there are those who disagree, pointing out that impeachment is an exception to the rule and therefore it still retains jurisdiction. Of course, only the Court can settle this, albeit I should emphasize that the decision of the Senate on the matter enjoys the presumption of regularity. This means, unless someone goes to Court, the senators can either conduct trial or jettison the case.

This is why the Senate President’s resolve becomes crucial. Although technically, he still needs to get the consensus of the rest of the membership, he basically spearheads everything. Now, whether or not he and our solons would sit on the impeachment case or set it into motion come June 9 would largely depend on which action would benefit them the most.

In the case of our congressmen, a reliable source who has personal knowledge of the matter has intimated to me that they fear they no longer have the number needed to convict the Vice President. Nonetheless, they still want the Senate to proceed with trial even if it results in acquittal. They argue that by exposing her alleged “dirty linen” in public, they can at least ruin her reputation, sway public opinion against her, and weaken her chances in 2028. This, of course, is good news to the Speaker, to whom most of them understandably are beholden.

The senators, though, unlike their counterparts from the lower chamber, are not indebted to Romualdez. They act based on what could advance their interests further. Supporting Sara right now seems to make more sense considering her trust and approval ratings remain way better than those of the President and his allies. The fact that the Chief Executive is forced to recalibrate his game plan, initially by revamping his Cabinet, presupposes he recognizes this development.

As I always say, we do not have a strong party system. As political parties exist merely for convenience, politicians can shift allegiance as often as they change their underwear. Of course, siding with the President has always been a prudent thing to do. He is the most powerful man in the country and basically runs the show. But with three years remaining in office and the tide seemingly turning in favor of Sara, the President is losing grip in the Senate and may not be able to demand the same loyalty like he used to.

Right now, everything is up in the air, and the senators are practically playing things by ear. Whoever can guarantee their political survival usually gets their support. The impeachment proceeding, at the end of the day, is nothing but a mere political exercise. Suing the Vice President in court is really the way to go if she were to be held accountable. By insisting, though, on impeachment in lieu of a criminal complaint, it is obviously not the ends of justice which these lawmakers seek. It’s their political survival that matters the most.