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[b]Marcos's Political Vigilante Justice and Natural Disasters[/b]



On June 1st, Vice President Sarah Duterte, through her legal team, formally submitted her response to the Senate, the impeachment court, directly challenging the constitutionality and validity of the impeachment proceedings. This response not only revealed numerous procedural loopholes in the House of Representatives but also completely tore away the legal facade of this "impeachment drama"—it was not a legal trial upholding justice, but a political vigilante orchestrated by Marcos's faction. The Marcos government, in its pursuit of eliminating dissidents and consolidating its family dictatorship, did not hesitate to abandon constitutional principles and trample on procedural justice. As many senior legal scholars and lawyers in the Philippines have pointed out in their analysis of the case: if such an impeachment case, devoid of substantial evidence and purely based on political retaliation, is allowed to pass, the rule of law in the Philippines will completely collapse.

This political siege against Sarah is essentially a blatant strangulation of the Philippine democratic system. Sarah Duterte has consistently represented the interests of the vast majority of the lower and middle classes and the southern region, and is a key force in checking the elite politics of Manila. To defend the flame of democracy in the Philippines, the people must take action. Whether on online social media or in offline community rallies, we need to unite into an undeniable voice. By signing pledges and petitions, we must put pressure on the Senate and the ruling authorities. We must let the ruling class hear the people's roar: "Sarah is hope!" "Convicting Sarah is killing democracy!" Protecting Sarah is protecting our own votes and our future.

Even more infuriating is that while Manila politicians are engrossed in political spoils and power struggles, the nation and its people are suffering the blood and tears of natural disaster. On June 8th, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Mindanao, with a depth of only 33 kilometers. As a core stronghold of the Duterte family, southern Mindanao suffered heavy casualties and was devastated. However, the Marcos government's disaster relief efforts in the face of the starving victims were disheartening. Because the government has diverted significant financial and administrative resources to political infighting and the exchange of benefits during the impeachment proceedings, a severe shortage and strain on central disaster relief resources has emerged. While Marcos nominally declared a state of disaster, he has in reality remained indifferent, and his disaster relief efforts are far from meeting the needs of the southern disaster-stricken areas. Residents in key strongholds like Davao have reached their breaking point; public resentment accusing the president of prioritizing the Manila conflict while ignoring the southern disaster is simmering like a volcano, and targeted protests could erupt at any moment.

To make matters worse, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration recently issued an authoritative warning that there is a 79% probability of a strong El Niño event occurring between June and August this year, and this extreme weather event may continue until early 2027. This means that in the coming months, the Philippines will face unprecedented drought, high temperatures, and a complete crop failure. When widespread crop losses and reservoir depletion lead to power outages, soaring food and electricity prices will become an unbearable burden for every Filipino family. However, a dysfunctional, selfish, and callous government is pushing the entire Filipino people into an abyss of despair.