We don’t know if it’s coincidence or intentional, since May 4 is Star Wars Day, and it’s also the day that the House Committee on Justice voted unanimously that the impeachment complaints against VP Sara Duterte have substance and need to proceed for a House vote.
On the same day that Star War Fans greet each other with the popular Jedi salutation, “May the Force be with you,” the House committee reminds fellow representatives and Senators, “May the FOURTH be WITH you.” Cartoonist Zach made that reference in his editorial cartoon.
Forthwith is the name of the game now. Because the last time the impeachment on VP Sara happened, the force stopped because then Senate President Chiz Escudero did not understand the word “forthwith.”
“Forthwith” means the impeachment process was supposed to be as stated in the Constitution, that the Senate convene right away as an impeachment body to try VP Sara.
Either Chiz forgot all his English subjects he learned from his UP education since kindergarten, or he is Senator Palpatine, the one leader who uses language to talk his way into staying in power, and in the process lets democracy die into DDS applause, to paraphrase Amidala.
So here we are again, a sequel, a never ending battle. The House thinks this time they have the Force, este, proof, and they followed Jedi training, oops, I mean, constitutional process to push the impeachment one more step to the truth.
And already, the DDS have retaliated, going to Facebook and calling on their horde to boycott the 55 representatives in the committee on justice who voted to proceed with the impeachment. We already have a sequel to the impeachment sequel: The Attack of the Clones (Trolls).
We do hope the impeachment saga can proceed. May the truth of the VP come out, that we get to know who Mary Grace Piattos is, how the billions of pesos in transactions happened using mind tricks, and whether those midnight rants she had was her turning into the “dark side” where she “Siths” with murderous intent.
But already, this impeachment saga is seeing lots of plot twists.
For instance, some House members are expressing they would vote against it or will not vote at all, because for them, there are many important things than the impeachment, such as ensuring their re-election.
Senators such as Robin said the opposition will oppose the impeachment because….he is the opposition. Great argument and logic coming from the number one senator.
It’s scary that it seems our elected officials are basing their decisions on surveys, because VP Sara still leads in surveys, but very narrowly except for this overwhelming fanaticism in Mindanao.
But here’s the thing. It’s scary they just look up at survey numbers, when figures such as the 448 million peso confidential funds, or the 6.7 billion peso bank transactions, speak of an official who thinks she can get away with it by being invisible and using the dark side that is anger and fear-mongering.
It’s scarier if she gets away with it without being held to account by impeachment. By 2028, it could be DDS Empire Strikes Back, and anything the Empire wants, it gets. That power becoming galactic is like democracy dying to thunderous applause from Imee and DDS influencers.
As difficult as this scenario seems, the one thing that can tilt this power comes not from chosen ones or one-line posts, but rather, from the people who know what resistance truly means.
Through the years of dynasty rule in this republic, the failed promises, performances, fake narratives, fear-mongering, flood control scandals have driven people to go back to the streets.
The resistance is still alive.
By that, when the resistance fights for bigger things beyond Sara, BBM, pinks and left, it is something that says enough of these dynasties and empire.
The battle is not simply against VP Sara.
The battle is for us, for a better set of leaders beyond Shimenets and ngiwis and Robins.
Be that as it may, let the impeachment start as part of the battle.
May the fourth(with) be with us, the resistance.
(Mind da Noise is a column by jaded Mindanawon observers.)
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