As the Senate prepares to begin the impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte next week, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), together with the Bantay Impeachment Network, is calling on the people to march to the Senate on Monday, July 6, to assert our demand for truth and accountability.
The impeachment trial should not be reduced to a legal or political contest between rival factions of the ruling elite, despite recent events that reveal this very real dynamic. It is a constitutionally prescribed way for the Filipino people to hold accountable the highest public officials who abuse their power and betray the public trust. The impeachment process must remain faithful to this purpose.
However, public vigilance is indispensable because accountability cannot be left to the Senate alone, driven as it is by partisan and vested interests. It must be demanded and fought for by the people themselves.
The evidence against VP Duterte must be presented fully before the impeachment court and, therefore, the public at large. The Senate owes the people an expeditious trial that is transparent, impartial, and insulated from political maneuverings or backroom deals. The trial must proceed without obstruction and unnecessary delays. Our people will not tolerate any cover-up or whitewash designed to shield Duterte from the demands of justice.
At the same time, BAYAN emphasizes that the fight against corruption does not stop with Sara Duterte. The entrenched corruption engendered by the system of bureaucrat capitalism extends across competing political clans and factions, starting with the Marcoses and their own network of big comprador and landlord -led political parties and dynasties. The people’s demand for accountability encompasses those who systematically plunder public funds and misuse their office for private gain, regardless of shifting political affiliation. Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot!
The impeachment trial is but part of the broader struggle to hold the most corrupt and abusive officials accountable, beginning with those occupying the highest positions in government.
The people’s demand is clear: let the truth come out, let justice take its course, and let the highest public officials who have grievously betrayed the public trust be held accountable.