‘So if you want a reliable government, you need to change. Voters need to change first. They need to have a basis in their selections, correct standards.’
IN AN animated discussion, Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice said on Daily Tribune’s Straight Talk show that change in government will have to start with voters, by electing the right people to government.
ERICE and members of the Daily Tribune family share the aspirations of ferreting out the truth amid the exchange of allegations on the misuse of public funds.
Caloocan 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice, a longtime member of the Liberal Party (LP), has recently made headlines for his refusal to participate in the ongoing impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, arguing that the constitutional process has been weaponized for political ends.
Faced with a legislative proceeding that could have major implications not only for the country’s current political landscape but also for the 2028 national elections, Erice chose to fall back on principles shaped by 40 years in government.
From his time as the president of the Sangguniang Kabataan of Caloocan in 1975 to becoming a city councilor and eventually a congressman in 2001, the solon has been a constant figure who opposes any affiliations or programs related to the Marcoses and the Dutertes.
Last February, following the announcement of Duterte’s interest in pursuing the presidential post, rumors swirled that a potential coalition between the Liberal Party and the Marcos administration was being floated as an opposition to the Vice President’s public dominance.
Erice openly asserted that if such a partnership were to come into fruition, he would not be the slightest interested in participating in the alliance.
Much of this sentiment could be felt in the solon’s stance on the impeachment of the Vice President, where he has been very vocal in claiming that the process was merely the result of a partisan feud.
During an interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk program, Erice affirmed his belief that the impeachment was not being carried out fairly, as it had been the agenda of the current administration since the 19th Congress to remove Duterte from office.
With the process failing in 2025, he noted that this time around, government agencies such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Commission on Audit were mobilized to support it.
The solon even referred to the sworn testimony of the Vice President’s supposed bagman, Ramil Madriaga, as an “incriminatory machination” because it contained several inconsistencies.
He further expressed that, unlike previous impeachments, in which the House of Representatives was only concerned with reviewing complaints submitted to it, the Justice panel had indeed conducted a “mini-trial” in which evidence was gathered and presented.
Erice noted that he would not be surprised if this type of process were to repeat itself and be used to silence any public official who had something negative to say about the current administration.
“If the Marcos administration becomes used to weaponizing government agencies, they might use it against politicians who criticize wrong policies, raise issues of corruption, and the worst possibility is that they use it to maintain power,” he said in Filipino.
He explained that the impeachment process could have been quicker if it had been conducted properly.
Circling back to his primary point, Erice said that the government needed to inherently address the issue of Political Dynasties in the country, as he declared that the existence of such systems further intensified corruption.
Throughout his career, he stated that he had fought against the existence of dynasties and the concentration of power within families, even before the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Erice said that it had been his primary principle to abolish dynasties and that he did not foresee such legislation being passed under Marcos, believing it was not truly among the President’s priorities.
Under the 20th Congress, the Anti-Political Dynasty bill has remained pending after its second reading drew criticism from lawmakers, including Erice himself, for its shallow provision that still allows multiple family members to run for public office.
“So if you want a reliable government, you need to change. Voters need to change first. They need a basis for their selections and adherence to correct standards. It should not be about popularity, it should be about competence,” he explained.
Despite the critics, Erice has also repeatedly voiced the endorsement of his longtime ally, former Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, as his bet for President.
His decision to promote Roxas’ candidacy was supposedly driven by his belief in the former senator’s abilities and by the publicly stated disinterest of former Vice President and Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo in taking another shot at the executive chair.
“Make Mar Roxas the President for six years, and we will thrive,” he said.
Erice further urged voters to look beyond government subsidies, noting that such assistance would no longer be needed if a qualified leader were at the helm.
Asked if he himself would like to run for office, the Liberal stalwart said he knew he was not fit for such a responsibility.
