Group calls for good governance, transparency amid VP Sara impeachment issue 

An anti-corruption group on Thursday called for transparency and good governance in public service amid the issue of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment. 

In a press release, Democracy Watch Philippines (DemWatch) said it has convened student leaders from 16 universities and various youth-led non-government organizations in Metro Manila to promote good governance as well as to urge the youth to partake in civic engagement and political participation.

“Transparency isn’t just a buzzword—it's the frontline of accountability. If we don’t know what our leaders are doing, how can we hold them responsible? If public service is cloaked in secrecy, can we still call it democratic?” DemWatch convenor Lloyd Ian Zaragoza said in a press release. 

“We must understand who these politicians are and what they are scared of. It’s actually the voters. It’s us, the people, who hold the power to elect and are empowered to hold them accountable,” he added.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5 with more than 200 congressmen endorsing the verified complaint against her, which has been transmitted to the Senate for her impeachment trial.

The Senate sitting as an impeachment court however voted last June 10 to return to the House of Representatives the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte without dismissing or terminating the case.

Duterte entered a “not guilty” plea in the verified impeachment complaint filed against her, which she called merely a “scrap of paper.”

Zaragoza, meanwhile, pointed out that the issues surrounding the impeachment case were supposedly muddled by misinformation. 

He cited the importance of empowering the youth as the next generation of voters to raise awareness on relevant social issues and put public pressure on leaders to serve honestly. 

“You are not a silent generation. You are asking the hard questions. You are calling out injustice. You are not here to inherit a broken system—you are here to help fix it,” said Zaragoza. — BM, GMA Integrated News