LEARN-SENTRO Statement on Statement on Congressional Developments during Vice President Duterte’s Impeachment Vote
By our Constitution, the Philippine Congress is supposedly the reflection of the popular will of our people. Through the Senate and the Lower House, our elected representatives are expected to serve the interests of the citizens that they serve. Beyond popularity and political opportunism, the “people’s representatives” are expected to think, act, and position with the best interests of their constituencies at heart.
The Labor Education and Research Network (LEARN) and the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) express great alarm at the political developments this May 11th, 2026. What transpired in the halls of the Senate is a betrayal of the people’s trust. We are left with a divided Congress. As the saying goes, this divided house derails all attempts at accountability through institutional channels.
While we commend the House of Representatives for its principled stand for constitutional process, we are worried that forces are at work to paralyze accountability before the Senate. The shameless behavior of the dishonorable Bato de la Rosa is especially insulting to Filipino workers. Following his months-long absence from his responsibilities as a Senator, his attendance just to vote on the Senate’s leadership change demonstrates that self-interest and self-preservation are the only factors that matter to him.
His continued acceptance of a 300,000-peso monthly salary despite his 6-month absence says everything we need to know about his character, and the moral compass of those that remain allied with him. LEARN and SENTRO condemn the brazen political manoeuvre of the Duterte Senators not for truth, but only to save their political patron.
Given the political changes in the Senate, the institution is now hard-pressed to demonstrate where its true loyalty rests — is it in genuine, principled service of the people, or will it be for opportunism, and service to political allies?
Now that the articles of impeachment have passed the Lower House, we believe that the Senate is now duty-bound to fulfill its constitutionally mandated role to immediately convene an impeachment trial. The allegations against Vice President Duterte demand answers. We Filipinos deserve answers. We deserve to know whether or not the second-highest official of the land has betrayed the public’s trust by robbing the people she claims she is serving.
Contrary to (dis)honorable representative Marcoleta’s assertion, the people that attended the impeachment proceedings are not “hakot.” They are the representatives of the social movements, trade unions, people’s organizations, church and civil society groups, and the millions of workers who are watching the impeachment proceedings.
All eyes are now on the Senate. The same people who attended the impeachment vote today are a fraction of the workers, social movements, and citizens who will continue to mobilize for accountability. We would like to remind our lawmakers that the people are no strangers to forcing political change, should our institutions fail us. Those who will stand on the side of truth and accountability will be remembered by history. Those who will vote for themselves and personal loyalty will earn the people’s disgust.
