Faced with tough challenges even before the trial begins, the Duterte camp is working to win the former president's case in the streets rather than through the legal channels, which they have long been trying to besmirch through black propaganda and other forms of disinformation.
The disinformation game plan now appears to have shifted to undermining the ICC, linking it to the leftist groups in the Philippines, and questioning its objectivity to destroy its credibility.
"Okay na 'to" or "pwede na" should never be a consideration, particularly in positions that allocate trillions of pesos in public funds, formulate policies and programs, and implement these supposedly for the majority of Filipinos, not for their partisan and personal interests.
Congress is not a charitable institution to distribute ayuda or dole-outs, guarantee letters, or recommendations for employment. Nor is it an institution for lawbreakers or those who'd twist the definition of political dynasty to justify the existence of multiple family members in public office.
Can rabid Duterte defenders such as De la Rosa and another reelectionist senator, Bong Go, convincingly shed their partisanship and be impartial in deciding to either acquit or convict the vice president?
What is troubling in this campaign is the incumbent president's negative campaigning despite the perceived better quality of his candidates compared to those backed by Duterte.
The Dutertes and their ilk have made spewing insults and threats normal in responding to questions concerning abuse of power in a blatant display of arrogance.
Doing so would be like giving lawmakers a boulder to hit their heads. Perhaps the next best thing to do is for voters to reject candidates who promote the "ayuda" mentality and use it for political advantage.
A CCTV footage showed three police operatives loading 19 pieces of luggage into a white sedan parked near the WPD lending office on Jose Abad Santos Avenue. The PDEG chief estimated the stolen volume at around 380 kg. Only two pieces of luggage with 42 kg were recovered one week after the bungled operation.
Cuts made by Congress in the annual budget in the last three years had reached P1.042 trillion, broken down into: P219 billion in the 2013 GAA, P449.5 billion in 2024 and P373 billion in 2025.
