Kangaroo court

Impeachment is fundamentally a numbers game, controlled largely by partisan legislative votes rather than a purely independent, evidence-based tribunal.

In fact, even the Supreme Court recognized this, emphasizing that, more than a judicial process, it is actually a political exercise that is predisposed to being weaponized for political gains, where decisions are shaped by party loyalties, alliances, public pressure and vested political interests.

Certainly, anyone with a modicum of common sense can readily see that. To say it’s all about accountability is a blatant lie, albeit ideally, that is what it should be about. The reality, though, is way farther from that.

This is why, at its core, the rules governing impeachment are defined by high numerical hurdles, so that when the powers that be decide to politicize the process, they would at least have some challenges to face, if not difficult barriers to pass.

With the impeachment court’s decision, though, to adjust the threshold, excluding senators who are suspended, detained or medically incapacitated, allegations of manipulation by the majority to pursue a predetermined verdict seem to be gaining ground.

As it is, many supporters of the vice president are encouraging the minority senator-judges and the defense team to stage a massive walkout, if only to bring attention to the fact that this tribunal is nothing but a mere kangaroo court and a rubber stamp of Malacañang.

To be honest, this kangaroo-court tag is a bit of an overkill, considering that the senator-judges are actually trying their best to give this impeachment court, despite alleged pressure from the Chief Executive and anti-Duterte groups, some semblance of legitimacy, judiciously conducting hearings, receiving pieces of evidence and evaluating pending issues that need to be resolved.

Besides, staging a walkout is not really desirable, considering that the senator-judges have a sworn duty to uphold the integrity of the impeachment process despite the seemingly manipulative acts perpetrated here and there.

Moreover, while it may send a message, skipping proceedings is deleterious in the long run because their absence would deprive them of the opportunity to look for ways to extricate themselves from the seeming political mess, they find themselves in by participating in the trial.

At any rate, I couldn’t blame the opposition senators if they intend to abandon the boat, though it is not fully sinking. This is what happens when the majority decides to deceptively “rig” the process. The other camp attempts to do its own rigging, too.