Super tiny minority

It’s not easy being a member of the opposition when the president enjoys a trust rating of over 90 percent, with a near-total 97 percent in Mindanao. A democracy, however, needs a functioning check and balance system, which is normally provided by the political opposition.

Even an immensely popular president is vulnerable to the abuse of power and needs a credible opposition to discourage this. Beyond promoting the proper use of power, the opposition can also help ensure that the annual national appropriation is utilized for the intended purposes, with projects and programs implemented properly. In short, the political opposition has an indispensable role to play in promoting good governance and making democracy work.

Under the current setup, the opposition in the House of Representatives is also expected to initiate proceedings to remove from office a president, vice president, justice of the Supreme Court or head of a constitutional body who betrays the public trust.

Impeachment is a numbers game, and with fewer than 50 members who can’t even unite, the current House opposition is unlikely to muster the votes to forward a complaint to the Senate for trial. But when public trust has been genuinely betrayed and impeachment is not used merely as a partisan weapon of harassment, the numbers can shift as the system of checks and balances kicks into place.

In both chambers of Congress, the opposition currently constitutes a super tiny minority. Its role in a democratic government, however, is anything but minor. The opposition must be up to the task, performing its role with efficiency and integrity.