YOUTH leaders gathered at Xavier University today to talk about the ongoing Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and spark public conversation on good governance and public accountability.
The impeachment process is important because it shows the power of the people working. “It is provided in the Constitution to hold to account the highest officials of government. A safeguard against abuses by people in power and to protect taxpayers’ money,” said Atty. Eddie Cuaresma, professor of law at the Liceo de Cagayan University.
Asked whether he sees the impeachment as a form of political persecution against the Vice President who has declared running for president in 2028, the law professor who served as president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines – Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental chapter said politics may be immaterial because there are allegations of serious offenses which could be the basis of removal from office.
“For example, we have a Chief Justice who was removed after the Senate Impeachment Court found him guilty of committing an impeachable offense for failure to declare a foreign bank account in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth,” Cuaresma said, adding that “what applies to Juan should also apply to Maria.”
“It doesn’t mean that because we are in Mindanao, we are blindly loyal to a leader who comes from Mindanao. If the evidence proves she committed an impeachment offense, accountability has to be exacted,” Cuaresma said.Meanwhile, Prof. Louie Sabal said it is important for people to value accountability mechanisms like impeachment in government because the economy and politics are intertwined.
“Money lost to corruption results in lost spending for basic services,” said Sabal, who teaches Economics at the Bukidnon State University in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.
The impeachment process, he said, could also be considered a signal to foreign investors – that our country is serious about eliminating corruption.He, however, lamented that “dapat wala na untay future impeachment, only if people elect good leaders.”A strong, stable political landscape would eventually lead to economic growth, he said.
XU Law School Assistant Dean Antonio Neri, who moderated the forum, underscored the need for evidence-based decisions on the impeachment case against the vice president by the Senate Impeachment Court.
If the pieces of evidence presented point to the commission of impeachable offenses, perhaps accountability has to be exacted.
The Pag Barog Forum on the Impeachment, Corruption and the Economy is an initiative by the Xavier University Center for Legal Assistance (XUCLA) and the YouthSync, a broad organization of student leaders in the city. The forum sought to provide a venue for this conversation with youth who are often seen as disengaged from socio-political issues. YOUTHSYNC PHOTOS
