VP Sara’s impeachment and turmoil in the Senate

With the nation still reeling from the flood control scandal that exposed billions worth of ghost projects and kickbacks, another episode in the ongoing political drama has unfolded.

We witnessed another leadership change in the Senate — a third Senate President, Alan Peter Cayetano, installed in the 20th Congress. And the clincher in the chamber power play in the chamber, the dramatic reappearance of Senator Bato dela Rosa, whose whereabouts were unknown since November, purportedly to secure the majority for the Duterte allies.

While it was no surprise how the House of Representatives voted on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, the events that transpired in the Senate were, unfortunately and disappointingly, unbecoming of public officials sworn to uphold the laws of the land. It highlighted how personal and factional interests continue to trump institutional stability.

Senator Tito Sotto appeared surprised by the sudden move to declare all leadership positions vacant. The sudden realignment that followed felt less like an organic democratic process but more like a well-orchestrated coup.

Enter running Senator Bato dela Rosa — a former PNP chief and staunch Duterte ally — who resurfaced at the critical moment to deliver the crucial swing vote. His reappearance made way for the leadership change, but it also invited questions as to whether he had been fully informed of the risks involved.

The political zarzuela reached fever pitch with the NBI’s botched attempt to arrest Dela Rosa on the strength of an ICC arrest warrant despite the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

The scuffle, captured on video and immediately circulated online, symbolized the deeper tension between national sovereignty and international legal overreach.

Why the sudden enforcement now? The incident was not only embarrassing but may have undermined our legal system, sovereignty, basic common decency and the courtesy between coequal branches of government. Think selective justice and the weaponization of institutions.

Our political reality reveals a troubling pattern. The Constitution’s safeguards, meant to prevent abuse, are once again being gamed by the powerful. Impeachment, leadership ousters and arrest dramas — all within weeks — expose how fragile our institutions remain when personal ambitions and survival instincts take center stage.

The flood control mess was about greed; this political turmoil is about power. Both erode public trust and divert attention from real governance failures.

The rehashed impeachment complaint against VP Sara underscores the all-out war between the Marcos and Duterte camps. Many see this not as a principled stand against wrongdoing but as political payback and preemptive neutralization of a formidable rival ahead of 2028.

The messy NBI attempt to arrest Senator Dela Rosa on an ICC arrest warrant turned the political arena into a theater of the absurd. Once again, the Filipino people are left wondering whether these maneuvers are meant to deliver swift justice or merely to consolidate power.

The timing of these developments, coinciding with the flood control exposés, raises eyebrows. Is this genuine accountability or a distraction and a warning to those who dare challenge the current administration?

Amid the political infighting, what will it take for the Filipinos to say enough is enough?

Meaningful, genuine reform is long overdue. Hope demands vigilance, discernment at the polls, and an unyielding insistence that public office remains a public trust — not a family business or a weapon against political rivals.