Catholic bishops call for justice, common good in VP Sara’s impeachment proceedings

Catholic bishops behind Caritas Philippines on Wednesday urged the government to ‘uphold the truth and ensure that justice prevails” as the House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, according to a CBCP News report.

“The impeachment process serves as an essential mechanism in our democracy to maintain accountability among those in power,” Caritas Philippines president Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said in a statement.

Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP),  also urged the public to deal with Duterte’s impeachment proceedings with "fairness, integrity, and respect for the rule of law."

“We call on the faithful and all sectors of society to remain vigilant, prayerful, and actively engaged in protecting our democratic principles,” Bagaforo said.

“We must not let political divisions overshadow our primary concern: the welfare of our people,” he added.

Caritas Philippines said the House of Representatives demonstrated that the country’s “democratic institutions are functioning as intended.”

“No leader should be beyond scrutiny, and governance must always serve the common good,” Bagaforo said.

The House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte with 215 congressmen endorsing the verified complaint against her and the same has been transmitted to the Senate for her impeachment trial.

According to the complaint approved by the House plenary, the complainants moved to impeach Duterte "based on the grounds of Culpable Violation of the Constitution, Betrayal of Public Trust, Graft and Corruption, and Other High Crimes." — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News