ACCORDING TO SENATE President Sherwin Gatchalian, “the Senate spends about P25 million daily for salaries, electricity, utilities and other operating expenses.” (Inquirer)
An official elected to hold a public office is to serve the people and country, and takes his oath vowing to work in line with the Constitution and Rule of Law.
VP Sara Duterte has done nothing but wasted the people’s money worth trillions. From day one upon her assumption as VP in June 2022, all she has done was waste the people’s money with her monthly salary and allowances that could have been spent, among other important programs for the more than 60 million poor Filipinos, for building the severe lack of school classrooms nationwide and improving the standard of teaching by teachers and learning for the Filipino youth and children.
VP Sara Duterte’s daily salary and allowances could have been payment, for example, the free treatment of a hundred dialysis patients or the free surgeries of countless indigent patients.
WHAT OUTPUT
As the Congress’ Committees on Justice and Good Governance have exposed in its TV live-streamed investigations, the people have learned, among other issues, about VP Sara Duterte’s unexplained spending of more than P612 million of the people’s money while holding her VP portfolio (the second highest paid official government position) and concurrently serving also as secretary of the Department of Education. And this is not counting her non-work-related days of various travels abroad particularly only to visit her ICC jailbird father, Rodrigo, awaiting trial for his crimes against humanity.
A day’s session in the Senate Hall is worth P25 million of the people’s money. And most likely the amount spent for a day’s session by a Committee of the House of Representatives (HOR) will be more than that spent by the senators in a day, given the usual number of congressmen-attendees.
Thus, the amount spent for a day’s so-called work of the senators and congressmen run into millions, if not, billions, of the people’s money.
But what has been the output of a day’s session by the Senators and that of the Congressmen? How many session days have been spent devoted by the senators and congressmen to discuss the issue of the impeachment of VP Sara Duterte for her crimes of betrayal of public trust, among many other various sins against the Filipino people?
It is mind-boggling indeed, to say the least. What benefits, if any, can the Filipino people enjoy in a day’s work by the senators, congressmen and their staff/employees, when the subject for discussion is the impeachment of VP Sara Duterte?
CONTINUING DRAMA
The senators and congressmen couldn’t avoid discussing, among other critical national issues, the whats, whys, hows, and whens related to the impeachment case of VP Sara Duterte in their session days.
And to think that she has been in the agenda on session days of the chambers of the Senate and the HOR – since 2024. That is, when the varied organizations of workers, farmers, fishermen, students, party-list groups, professionals, activists, peoples’ organizations, faith-based/church coalitions, and countless citizens concerned about good governance – cried out in their mobilizations in Luneta, Mendiola, EDSA Shrine, and at the People Power Monument — “litisin na si VP Sara Duterte!”
The Filipino people have been aware of the long-drawn out monstrous mess the country is suffering from, since Sara’s father, ICC jailbird Rodrigo, was installed as president in 2016.
And continuing still, perhaps as a bigger mess, with a chaotic wasteful struggle for power in the Senate.
When will the Bongbong-Sara tandem resolve the massive social injustices and human rights violations nationwide?! Hopeless?!