The Council for People’s Development and Governance (CPDG) strongly condemns the Philippine Senate’s decision to archive the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte. By siding with legal maneuvering over public accountability, 19 senators have effectively dismissed the people’s demand for truth and justice. “This is no mere legislative action; it is a political decision to protect impunity, entrench elite power, and further erode already shrinking civic space”, says Liza Maza, CPDG Spokesperson.
“The accusations against Vice President Duterte are serious: questionable disbursement of confidential funds, political patronage, and potential links to organized violence. These are not baseless claims; they raise urgent concerns about the misuse of public resources and the abuse of high office. Yet instead of addressing these with transparency and integrity, the Senate has chosen to hide behind legal technicalities and the Supreme Court’s flawed interpretation of the Constitution”, says Maza.
The result is clear: those in power are once again exempted from the law, while the people—especially critics, activists, and the poor—face persecution for far less.
This is the real state of Philippine democracy: a regime where accountability mechanisms are co-opted, courts are politicized, and elected officials operate with near-total immunity. It is a system that tolerates corruption, silences dissent, and punishes civic participation. This is the context in which civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and development workers continue to operate—under constant threat, in increasingly militarized communities, and with dwindling space to organize.
“We refuse to accept this normalization of impunity. The Senate’s decision is not just an insult to the Filipino people. It is a direct assault on our collective struggle for people-centered development, for participatory democracy, and for institutions that serve public interest, not political dynasties”, asserts Maza.
For years, CPDG and our member-organizations have raised alarm over the systemic erosion of democratic space in the Philippines. This latest move by the Senate confirms what we have long asserted: political elites are not merely limiting civic participation but are actively dismantling it. Those who expose corruption are red-tagged. Those who organize for rights are criminalized. Those who demand accountability are silenced. Meanwhile, the likes of Sara Duterte are shielded by legislative allies and judiciary loopholes.
“This is the political reality we confront—a state machinery that defends privilege, protects plunder, and suppresses resistance. It is not broken. It is working exactly as intended”, says Maza.
“We reject this farce of accountability. We reject the complicity of the 19 senators who voted to protect Sara Duterte. And we reject a government that uses its institutions not to serve the people but to silence them. We will not rely on elites to police themselves. We will not wait for justice from a state captured by dynasties. We will continue to organize, mobilize, and assert just peace” , adds Maza.
The people must respond with organized resistance. CPDG calls on civil society, people’s organizations, mass movements, and concerned individuals to reclaim our civic space, assert our democratic rights, and intensify our collective action. Accountability will not come from this government. It must come from a vigilant, mobilized, and politically conscious public.###