What is clear in the statements of these senators, who are holding very powerful positions in the chamber, is that they selectively use the law to spare Sara Duterte from being held accountable for her misdeeds.
For sure, the vice president and her camp would use all antics in the book to block the impeachment trial. The time for her to answer the accusations won't come. She may be able to go scot-free on technicalities, but she'd be missing the opportunity to clear her name.
The president needs to take more drastic action against erring or non-performing officials, not only those in the Cabinet but even in lower-level agencies and regulatory entities, particularly those involved in frontline government services.
The results of the May 12 polls gave the vice president's camp more ammunition for the almost simultaneous battle in Congress — the speakership in the House of Representatives and impeachment in the Senate — to discredit the Marcos administration and eventually wrest power by 2028.
Elections give voters an opportunity every three years to reject non-performing, misbehaving, incompetent, corrupt and other types of bad leaders and replace them with aspirants suitable for the position. Every election presents a chance for improvement, not deterioration of the quality of the leaders we choose.
The words Imee used in the political ad to attack the Marcos administration officials could also apply to the Dutertes and their minions, who are facing the same criticisms and more serious allegations of corruption, drug trafficking and crimes against humanity.
Gutter talk, name-calling and other forms of abusive behavior are resorted to only when one runs out of substantive arguments to shift focus from the issues.
Perhaps Imee and Sara deserve each other. Both failed to be amply rewarded for their contributions to Bongbong's election victory in 2022. In the midterms, the president and his allies have become their adversaries.
What could have gone wrong? With less than a month into the May 12 polls, can Imee still recover from her apparent missteps in the past months?
Roque will have to show more of his antics to the Duterte supporters, who still laugh at his clowning, to be relevant. But he will have a long difficult journey to redeem himself, if at all.
