Hundreds of supporters gathered at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila today for a peaceful rally expressing strong opposition to the rumored impeachment plans against Vice President Sara Duterte. Organized by various civic groups, sectoral leaders, and political supporters, the event aimed to send a clear message to Congress: “Hands off Inday Sara.”
Banners reading “Cancel the Impeachment, Respect the Mandate” and “Support Good Governance” were seen all around the venue. The crowd included members of women's groups, youth organizations, transport sector leaders, OFW advocates, and even religious representatives, reflecting broad-based support for the Vice President.
Leaders from the “Kongreso ng Bayan,” a newly-formed alliance of civic and grassroots groups, spearheaded the event. In their statements, they emphasized that the impeachment threats are politically motivated and serve only to destabilize the current government. They stressed that the Vice President has not committed any impeachable offense, and such moves waste public resources and divide the nation.
“The Filipino people overwhelmingly voted for Vice President Sara Duterte in 2022. Any attempt to remove her from office through baseless accusations is a betrayal of that mandate,” said retired Gen. Alberto Reyes, one of the rally organizers.
The protesters also called on Congress to focus on more urgent national issues such as inflation, education, public health, and disaster response, instead of engaging in what they called “political harassment.”
In response to media queries, several speakers denied any links to partisan or destabilizing forces, saying that their only agenda is to protect democracy and uphold the rule of law.
Meanwhile, Vice President Duterte has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the rally or the impeachment rumors. However, her allies in the House of Representatives have expressed confidence that any impeachment complaint will fail due to lack of legal and factual basis.
As the sun set over Liwasang Bonifacio, rally-goers peacefully dispersed after a short prayer and the singing of the national anthem. Organizers vowed to hold more events nationwide if impeachment talks continue.
The rally served as a reminder that, for many Filipinos, Sara Duterte remains a strong and unifying figure. Whether or not the impeachment rumors materialize into formal charges, today’s protest clearly showed that she still enjoys solid grassroots support.
No comments:
Post a Comment