CARTOON BY: AARON PAUL C. CARIL
EDITORIAL
Enough of the noise
The nation has had more than its share of political theatrics. In barely a year, the country has seen an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that fizzled out almost as soon as it was filed, followed by a rapid-fire succession of four impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte — including two lodged on February 2, 2026. What the public gets is not leadership but a running soap opera, as if governance were a side job and spectacle the main event. Enough of the noise.
This cycle did not begin yesterday. The Vice President was impeached by the House in February 2025, the Senate stalled convening as an impeachment court until June, and the Supreme Court eventually struck down the complaint in July 2025 for violating the one-year ban. Yet the moment that the ban expired, three new complaints were filed, alleging everything from misuse of confidential funds to irregular liquidation reports. The pattern is obvious: political energy is being poured into procedural combat rather than public service. Enough of the noise.
The volume rose further when the Vice President announced her intention to run for president in 2028. Within days, reports surfaced that additional cases were being prepared for filing against her — instantly shifting the atmosphere from governance to campaign warfare. The national conversation veered away from policy and priorities, replaced by personalities and positioning. Meanwhile, inflation continues to squeeze households, climate-driven disasters batter communities, and infrastructure failures expose vulnerabilities that demand sustained attention. Enough of the noise.
The public pays the price for this distraction. When lawmakers devote their time to drafting, endorsing, and defending serial impeachment complaints — or maneuvering around early presidential ambitions — policy coherence suffers. Budget deliberations slow. Public trust erodes. Economic institutions have repeatedly warned that political uncertainty and governance weaknesses are undermining growth and delaying public investment. These warnings reflect lived reality: a government too distracted to govern. Enough of the noise.
What the country needs is sobriety, not spectacle. Filipinos deserve leaders who can focus on stabilizing prices, strengthening disaster preparedness, improving education, and ensuring transparent public spending. These tasks are not glamorous, but they are the essence of governance. They require discipline, competence, and a commitment to the common good — qualities that cannot flourish in an environment dominated by impeachment arithmetic and premature campaign choreography. Enough of the noise.
The Filipino people deserve better than a political class obsessed with 2028 while 2026’s problems remain unresolved. They deserve institutions that function, leaders who prioritize service over showmanship, and a government that treats public trust as a responsibility rather than a prop. The nation cannot afford to be trapped in a cycle of distraction. It is time — long past time — for political maturity to prevail. Enough of the noise.