Raise hell! Defend the impeachment process

The major headlines are focused on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte and the scandals caused by corruption in the implementation of the flood control projects.

- ELFREN S. CRUZ

The Duterte stable last Wednesday sent its usual clowns to the Supreme Court to file charges of indirect contempt against Akbayan lawmaker Perci Cendaña, political analyst Richard Heydarian and several others, for daring to speak out against the Court's decision declaring the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, which the House had transmitted to the Senate, unconstitutional. According to this motley crew, the high court was "gravely disrespected." Oh, please.

The irony is simply too rich to ignore.

Leading the pack was a line-up straight out of a political circus: the Duterte Youth, still fronted by a middle-aged DDS mascot pretending to be a youth leader; a lawyer known for his admiration of Adolf Hitler and a former congressman accused of snatching a mobile phone from an Akbayan lawmaker in 2018. Just like many Duterte-era scripts, this latest round of legal harassment attempts to weaponize fear to police thought and silence dissent.

Sadly for them, this playbook expired years ago. At best, it's comic relief.

In truth, the backlash is only growing.

No less than three former Supreme Court justices, including one former Chief Justice, have publicly questioned the ruling. Rep.

Perci is not alone; he is in good company.