DURING THE opening of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, the defense’s lead counsel Atty. Sheila Counsel made a familiar argument: VP Sara was elected by more than 32 million Filipinos, and trying her before the Senate is an attempt to overturn the people’s mandate.
It is a powerful but a very dangerous political line.
A democracy is not measured by how many votes a leader gets; but by whether even the most powerful leaders answer to the law.
Yes, more than 32 million Filipinos voted for Duterte in 2022. That victory gave her a mandate. But what exactly is a mandate?
A mandate is authority given by the people to govern. It is neither a license to govern without question nor a shield against investigation. Most importantly, it is not immunity from the Constitution.
The Philippine Constitution begins with a simple but powerful principle: Public office is a public trust. These even words define what every election means. When the people choose winners, they also entrust them with power, public money, and the responsibility to serve with honesty, integrity, and accountability.
This is why impeachment exists.
Impeachment does not erase election results, or cancel votes. It asks a different question: Has an official remained worthy of the trust that the people gave?
These are two separate issues. While one is decided by the voters, the other is decided by the Constitution.
What would it mean if the defense’s argument were accepted?
Then, every popular official gains protection simply because millions voted for them. The larger the victory, the harder it becomes to hold that official accountable. Democracy simply turns into a popularity contest. Worse, it turns popularity into immunity.
History has given us many examples of leaders who enjoyed overwhelming public support but later abused the powers entrusted to them. Democracies collapse when popular leaders are treated as untouchable.
The Senate impeachment court is therefore not on trial for defying the people’s will. It is on trial for its willingness to uphold the Constitution without fear or favor.
The issue before the country is not whether Sara Duterte won more than 32 million votes. That fact is beyond dispute.
The real question is whether any elected official, regardless of how popular or how many millions voted for them, can be exempt from the constitutional duty to answer serious allegations.
The answer should never depend on the numbers.
While votes give leaders power, accountability gives that power legitimacy.
That, my readers, is democracy.
