This impeachment proceeding is all about public perception. Although, in theory, the senator-judges are supposed to cast their votes based on the evidence, they, in reality, will ultimately base their judgment on how the public feels about it.

Impeachment, at the end of the day, is fundamentally a political exercise rather than a criminal one. Its purpose is simply to remove a public official and deny her the opportunity to run in 2028.

Although these lawmakers are openly manifesting their respective biases, they are still deeply influenced by public opinion, especially with elections looming. Favorable or negative shifts in public perception can make or break their political fortunes.

This is why political groups are now working doubly hard to create narratives aimed at swaying public opinion. Since many people do not have a background in law and cannot comprehensively follow the proceedings, these groups take advantage of that lack of familiarity to court sympathy, support and acceptance.

Just look at the misleading narratives being peddled left and right on social media. Instead of focusing on an honest assessment of the proceedings, paid peddlers, content creators and propagandists disseminate emotionally charged content, conspiracy theories and fake news through trolls, fake accounts and AI-generated stories.

Those who support the Vice President emphatically paint her as a victim of political persecution, while those opposed to her desperately portray her as the living embodiment of all that is evil and wicked. By creating confusion and chaos, they deliberately make it difficult for the public to distinguish verifiable facts from partisan opinions.

The issue here is really whether the articles of impeachment are supported by sufficient evidence to warrant a conviction. But as the proceedings become increasingly technical and procedural, interest groups are using this as an opportunity to further mislead the public.

To be honest, the validity of an impeachment verdict depends largely on public acceptance. If the public perceives the Senate as making a purely political decision rather than acting as an impartial court, the process fails in its perceived objective of promoting accountability in government.

Based on how the trial has been conducted so far, it would not be surprising if the real losers are the people.

And maybe Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. Just because.