The Spectacle of Selective Justice

The recent theatrics of Vice President Sara Duterte over a House committee's contempt orders against her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, for evading questions on her office's dubious use of confidential funds, has provided the public intermittent entertainment in recent days.

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Duterte's death threats against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez have meanwhile pushed the alarm button among these officials' security detail, with the National Bureau of Investigation serving the VP a subpoena on Tuesday to explain her unlawful utterances.

Beyond spectacle, however, such popcorn moments also reveal the uncomfortable truth about the country's justice system, where only the poor and disenfranchised are dealt the full brunt of the law. As in the VP's case, the rich, powerful, and privileged can get away with defying the mandate of Congress and with public avowals of ordering a hit on the country's top officials.