Marcos, Aquino: Prosecution and impeachment

There are many issues that can be raised against President Marcos and his administration. Many, if not all of them, are valid grievances. These include issues of corruption, political persecution, human rights violations, and the like. It’s also a legitimate complaint that many of the applauded actions of the Marcos administration are probably motivated by personal and political interests, even if they’re the correct moves that should be taken for our country’s good.

Our country is currently not in an ideal place, and any wrong turn could make us end up in a place far worse than where we already are. It’s an opportune time to make a list of the proper actions taken by the Marcos administration, even if they may have been motivated by not-so-proper reasons.

The Marcos administration muscled its way into obtaining the prosecution of politically powerful leaders. First, in September 2024, Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) was arrested, detained, and charged with human trafficking, child abuse, and sexual abuse. Second, in March 2025, former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he is charged with crimes against humanity. Third, in January 2026, former Sen. Bong Revilla was arrested and charged with having taken tens of millions in kickbacks from ghost flood control projects. Fourth, in June 2026, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was arrested for plunder similarly tied to the anomalous flood control projects. Fifth, this July 2026, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta was arrested on plunder charges in connection with his admission that he received P75 million in donations while he was a sitting congressperson. (When Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is arrested and surrendered to the ICC, he will be the sixth on the list.)

Article continues after this advertisement

Apart from the fact that they involve big fish accused of serious crimes, the current spate of arrests and prosecutions of immensely influential leaders is significant for several reasons. Two of those arrested belong to politically powerful religious groups: Quiboloy of the KOJC and Marcoleta of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. Thousands of the two religious groups’ members rallied to prevent the arrests, but the Marcos administration defied them by enforcing the apprehension. Almost all of the past presidents had either actively solicited the political support of these religious sects, or they looked the other way when scandals were linked to the two groups.

FEATURED STORIES

OPINION

OPINION

OPINION

The arrest and prosecution of five powerful political leaders under the Marcos administration is comparable to, and even exceeds the prosecution and detention of four powerful political leaders during the Benigno Aquino administration. Prosecuted and charged during the Aquino administration included former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the late Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, Estrada, and Revilla. Again, the motives of the Marcos administration may be prone to suspicions because of its open war with the Dutertes (the five are allied with the Dutertes). There were also suspicions of politics in the prosecution of Arroyo and her allies during the Aquino administration, but there was a lesser basis. The accused politicians under both administrations justifiably deserve(d) to be prosecuted. Regardless of motives, the prosecution under both administrations has partially quenched our country’s long-unsatisfied thirst to “clean the house” of our political leaders.

It’s also true that, so far, only politicians allied with the Dutertes have been prosecuted and charged under the Marcos administration. However, partially cleaning the pigsty is better than not cleaning it at all, and the Duterte administration is guilty of the latter because it did not lift a finger against corruption. The next administration can take up the pace by continuing and completing the cleaning with the prosecution of those whom the Marcos administration has skipped and exempted. We live in a dysfunctional country where we constantly dream of moving forward by leaps and bounds, but, given our reality, we can only manage to advance one stride at a time.

Another similarity between the two administrations—led by families that had been erstwhile enemies in our political history—is their initiation of impeachment complaints against leaders of the opposite side. The Aquino administration impeached then Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona for betrayal of public trust because of the latter’s blatant partiality on multiple crucial issues favoring Arroyo. Initially, Aquino didn’t have the numbers to obtain Corona’s conviction, but, in the end, the chief justice was convicted and removed from office.

Article continues after this advertisement

The Marcos administration now has the ongoing impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte on multiple charges that are far more serious and with evidence far more glaring than those against Corona. From the initial numbers, it looks like the 16 votes required to convict VP Sara, as claimed by impeachment presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, are very difficult to obtain given the current political alignments among senator-judges.

Will Mr. Marcos manage to do an Aquino? If there’s any indication as to how this question will be answered eventually, the clue lies in the fact that what is at stake in the current impeachment are the very lives of Mr. Marcos and his family if the Dutertes gain back Malacañang.

—————–

Article continues after this advertisement

Comments to [email protected]

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.