Leni Robredo’s betrayal of the Filipino people
THE betrayal could never have been more painful than when she revealed to the international community raw and unverified information alleging a serious matter which is damaging not only to the President but to the reputation of the entire country and every Filipino. What makes the sion, it refers to “acts which are just betrayal more callous is that she short of being criminal but confurther made preposterous claims stitute gross faithlessness against that painted our country as a failed public trust, tyrannical abuse of state, where laws are no longer power, inexcusable negligence of operating, and where institutions duty, favoritism, and gross exercise have broken down, leaving her no of discretionary powers.” other option but to run to the UN The court recognized that befor succor and relief. trayal of public trust can be easily
What made the act unforgivable is abused, and can be appropriated that the one who betrayed us is no to justify impeaching any public other than Maria Leonora Gerona Robredo, the one who currently acts conceivable misconduct or negas Vice President, or at least until the ligence. Hence, it ruled that “acts electoral protest doubting her electhat should constitute betrayal of public trust as to warrant re
Under the 1987 Constitution, betrayal of public trust is considcriminal but must be attended by ered as a ground for impeachment bad faith and of such gravity and seriousness as the other grounds culpable violation of the Constitufor impeachment.” The court also tion, treason, bribery, graft and took cognizance of the intent of corruption and other high crimes. the framers of the Constitution
The Supreme Court, in that good faith and human error , et al. can be invoked to negate an al(G.R. No. 196231) and legation of betraying public trust.
(G.R. No. 196232), Leni Robredo’s irresponsible promulgatedon September 4, disclosure is not a product of hu - man error, but a deliberate action lic trust. According to the court, aimed at calling the attention of citing the Constitutional Commis- the UN, through a video to be presented in a forum sponsored by an NGO, with the hope that such could be taken up in the more formal UN meeting on narcotics.
The context within which such act emerged reveals the grossness of the bad faith. Robredo is at the forefront in criticizing the President, yet her right to speak is never curtailed. She knew that our legal institutions still operate, and that we are not a failed state. She could have informed the police authorities of the details, and not just the existence, of her allegation about “She had all internal remedies available to seek justice, to shield innocent citizens from to go to an international forum.
The court ruled that the ground for betrayal of public trust must be in the same gravity as the other grounds. Treason is one of the grounds for impeachment, except that we cannot use treason since we are not in a state of war with other countries.
However, it is clear that our country and our President are now facing hostility from the international media community, and from global organizations such as the UN and the EU. It is a fact that international news and opinion columns derogatory to the President and painting our country in a bad light have systematically emerged and are preva has repeatedly aired criticisms. And just recently, the EU, in a clear sign of neo-imperialist, neo-colonialist interventionism, has treated us like a vassal state, undermining our sovereignty by intruding into our authority to implement our own criminal laws relative to Senator Leila de Lima.
It is in this context that Leni Robredo’s betrayal, her audacious abandoning of her oath of of country, by taking her unfounded accusations to a world forum that is already hostile to our interests, has acquired a gravity equivalent to the act of treason.
Leni Robredo appears to cling to her position as Vice President, which is evident in her dilatory moves vis-à-vis the electoral protest of Senator Bongbong Marcos. However, while she is determined to hold on to it, she does not act in ways to convince us that she deserves the position.
The Constitution and the courts may not have mentioned one empirical indicator of betrayal of on the hatred of the public she betrayed. And it is clear that a despise Leni Robredo. She is now seen as an enemy of the people.
While this may not count in an impeachment proceeding, it is the unkindest cut of all.