The eleven minority Philippine senators versus the thirteen (presumably pro-Duterte) majority framed as a good-versus-bad battle is just the “good” pot calling the “bad” kettle black. Recall how the same senators were falling all over themselves and one another currying favor with the administration during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The only “opposition” senators then were the Yellowidiots. The stakes are different now but the dynamic around the “debate” is the same.
Richard Heydarian in his Inquirer column issues the rather unoriginal idea of abolishing the Philippine Senate…
The sad circus that is our Senate nowadays is a perfect microcosm of the root cause of Philippine developmental debacle: a deracinated elite body, dominated by mostly mediocre, self-seeking politicians with little genuine regard for national interest. The few “good guys” are marginalized by a coalition of the factotums of demagogues and the most regrettable species of traditional politicians, with the current Senate president representing a curious fusion of the two strands.
Heydarian’s colleague Segundo Eclar Romero, a self-described citizen observer of the Senate “impeachment trial”, chimes in calling on all Filipinos to apply a bit more intelligence to their pedestrian spectatorship…
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
An impeachment trial is not healthy merely because it is dramatic. It is healthy only if it strengthens constitutional accountability. The deeper question is not simply whether Vice President Sara Duterte will be convicted or acquitted. It is whether the Philippines can conduct a high-stakes accountability process without surrendering to factional loyalty, legal manipulation, intimidation, or disinformation. Citizens should watch not as fans of rival camps, but as guardians of the republic.
Now, as in the past, there are clear divisions because of vested not national interest as usual. Reality check: It has never been about the national interest at any point in our history. I just watched the film Quezon on Prime and I now understand why Ricky Avanceña was kicking and screaming last year over the depiction of his grandfather.
Tough luck. The disclaimer was flashed at the beginning of the movie. There was no claim made that it was a factual depiction of events but rather the filmmaker’s adaptation or interpretation of what transpired at that moment in history. Manila then was a small town and rumors abounded surrounding Quezon’s alleged legendary appetite for women and power. These continued onto the 1950s and the 1960s with the only son being talked about as a closet queen what with the adoption of a son.
The Philippine story is one of a failed nation stillborn at birth because everything was under the control of the elites the whole time. It was true then. It’s still true now. Only the names have changed both among the politicians and the oligarchs. What we need are nationalist oligarchs like Danding Cojuangco, Salvador Araneta and Hans Menzi who saw the potential of agriculture early on and put their monies into the land.
While it’s not too late now the system won’t allow it. The oligarchs are rent-seekers and not interested in agricultural development. Manuel V Pangilinan (MVP) controls the coconut industry now, for example, because it needs the dollars to pay off its foreign debt. San Miguel Corporation (SMC) needs this too but its CEO Ramon See Ang (RSA) did away with the agricultural operations of the ECJ (associated with the late Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Jr.) group in Mindanao particularly the oil mills which remained after the Supreme Court decision on the oil mills that comprised Unicom.
The Duterte’s aren’t ideal but “Dutertismo” resonates because it’s the last hope of those who are still hoping against hope.
- The false narrative of 11 “good” versus 13 “bad” Philippine senators: they’re all THE SAME! - May 26, 2026
- Rather than own up to their role in the Toboso “massacre” of the “Negros 19”, leftist and commie militants blame the state - May 3, 2026
- Token outrage and politically-motivated street rallies contribute very little to the reform agenda - December 1, 2025