Organized labor calls for fair, uninterrupted impeachment process against VP Duterte

MANILA, Philippines - With the start of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to begin Monday, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) said the Senate must let the constitutional process run its course, stressing that accountability is not an "all-or-nothing" exercise.It called on the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial of the Vice President, saying constitutional accountability cannot be put on hold because other public officials have yet to face similar proceedings.FFW president Sonny Matula said the Constitution required every public official to answer for his or her actions through established legal and constitutional processes, regardless of position or political affiliation."The issue before the Senate today is the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The Senate should allow the constitutional process to proceed," Matula, in a Viber message to the Manila Times, said.The labor group argued that the absence of prosecutions against other officials could not serve as a justification for halting accountability measures against one who has been charged.Matula said the dismissal of an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., unresolved cases involving other personalities, or pending investigations against public officials should not be used to suspend or derail the impeachment process.According to the FFW, the constitutional guarantee of equal protection does not require all similarly situated individuals to be prosecuted or impeached simultaneously."The law does not demand that every alleged wrongdoer be prosecuted at the same time before one who is properly charged may be called to account," Matula said, adding that equal protection requires fairness, not universal or simultaneous prosecution.He warned that treating accountability as an "all-or-nothing" proposition would effectively reward impunity."The failure to enforce accountability against some individuals does not invalidate or suspend proceedings against another. Otherwise, impunity would become the strongest defense against impeachment," he said.