The Senate’s June 10, 2025, vote to punt Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment back to the House is a disgraceful cop-out, and Senator Imee Marcos is leading the charge. Her claim that the impeachment is a plot to derail Duterte’s 2028 presidential run isn’t just flimsy—it’s a brazen attempt to shield a political ally while thumbing her nose at the Constitution. This isn’t about principle; it’s about power.

The House did its job, securing the required one-third vote to impeach. The Senate’s role? Try and decide the case. Not nitpick the House’s process, not play procedural hot potato. Yet, Marcos and 17 other senators, including Duterte loyalist Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, voted to return the Articles of Impeachment, citing “constitutional infirmities.” Legal experts like UP’s Paolo Tamase call this move flat-out unconstitutional. The Senate isn’t the House’s babysitter—both chambers are equal. Only the Supreme Court can judge the House’s actions, not Imee Marcos’s political clique.

For the average Filipino, here’s the deal: the House followed the rules. If Duterte thinks the process was unfair, the Senate trial is where that gets hashed out—not by kicking the case back to the House for a do-over. Senator Win Gatchalian nailed it: “Why can’t we just push through with the trial?” Because Marcos and her allies don’t want a trial. They want a dismissal dressed up as procedure. Senator Risa Hontiveros called it what it is: a “functional termination” of the impeachment.

Marcos’s grandstanding reeks of loyalty to the Duterte dynasty. Her “it’s all politics” excuse is a tired deflection, ignoring the Constitution’s clear mandate. Compare her antics to the wisdom of 1987 Constitution framers like Christian Monsod and Adolfo Azcuna, who saw impeachment as a tool for accountability, not a pawn in political games. Marcos’s interpretation isn’t just wrong—it’s a betrayal of the public trust.

This Senate dodge sets a rotten precedent, letting senators shirk their duty while protecting the powerful. Imee Marcos isn’t a rebel with a cause—she’s a loyalist with an agenda, serving Duterte interests over the nation’s. The Filipino people deserve a Senate that upholds the Constitution, not one that plays political dodgeball. Let the trial proceed, or admit this is all a sham to save Sara.(TAMBULI NG BAYAN -Ronnie Estrada) #ImpeachSaraDuterte #ImeeMarcos #accountability
Photo :screenshot from tv interview