Ballots, not bullying

THE latest salvo from Duterte minions in Cebu shows a brazen attempt to strong-arm democracy itself.

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When a group like the so-called Cebu Alliance for Duterte 2028 threatens lawmakers with electoral backlash for merely entertaining an impeachment complaint, it reveals a disturbing truth that for these partisans, the ballot is not a sacred instrument of choice, but a weapon to intimidate and silence.

Cebu is no ordinary battleground. With over 3.4 million registered voters in 2025—the largest in the country—it is a crown jewel in any national campaign.

That is precisely why this intimidation campaign is so dangerous. It reduces the Cebuano voter into a blunt political tool, a pawn to be mobilized not by informed choice, but by fear and manufactured outrage.

Jun Abines and his group cloak themselves in the language of democracy while undermining its very core. They speak of accountability, yet threaten retribution.

They invoke constitutional processes, yet seek to preempt them through coercion.

'Ballots should empower, not terrorize.'