Gross power play
When the gavel banged down at the House of Representatives late Monday afternoon, the final count was historic: 257 yes (first erroneously reported as 255), 25 no, and nine abstain. Not only was Vice President Sara Duterte impeached for the second time, but the sheer number of affirmative votes—way more than the 215 in the foiled 2025 impeachment bid—was also a record, the biggest...
The narrative surrounding the impeachment process illustrates a tension between procedural legality and political spectacle. The initial House vote, characterized by a high number of affirmative votes, reflects a public desire for accountability, but the subsequent actions in the Senate demonstrate a calculated pursuit of political control rather than pure judicial scrutiny. The shift in focus from the House's methodical procedure to the Senate's dramatic leadership changes and the handling of t...