Power Is Not a Performance
By IVY BETALMOS
The ongoing impeachment issue involving Vice President Sara Duterte has become more than just another political controversy. For many Filipinos, especially the youth, it has become a test of transparency, accountability, and the kind of leadership this country continues to tolerate.
As a young Filipino, I choose not to stand on blind political loyalty. I stand on the side of truth.
Supporting the impeachment process does not automatically mean hatred or political opposition. For me, it simply gives the Vice President the opportunity to clear her name and answer the allegations against her through due process. If the accusations are false, then the proceedings allow her to defend herself publicly. If there are truths that must be revealed, then the Filipino people deserve to know them. In the end, transparency benefits both the accused and the nation.
What concerns me more is the culture of politics that continues to dominate the country. While government officials defend allies, exchange accusations, and focus on political survival, millions of Filipinos continue struggling with poverty, unemployment, corruption, rising prices, and an uncertain future.
As part of the youth of this nation, I demand better leadership. I demand leaders with integrity, competence, and genuine concern for the Filipino people. The country deserves officials who inspire trust and hope, not leaders who make citizens question the direction of the nation.
My generation is not blind to what is happening. We see when politics is prioritized over public service. We recognize when power becomes more important than accountability. We hear the promises, but we also see the lack of action.
Government is not entertainment, and leadership is not a performance. Public office carries a responsibility that directly affects millions of lives. Every decision made by those in power shapes the future of the youth who will eventually inherit the consequences of today’s governance.
The Philippines cannot move forward if incompetence, dishonesty, and political distractions continue to be normalized. Filipinos deserve leaders who place the welfare of the people above personal ambition and political interest.
To those serving in government today, one question remains: can you still provide the kind of government Filipinos once hoped for, or will those promises remain buried beneath corruption, excuses, and political noise?
The youth are growing tired of speeches without action and promises without results. We are demanding accountability not because of political bias, but because we refuse to inherit a broken system where corruption is accepted and truth is ignored.
The Philippines deserves better. The Filipino people deserve better. And the youth will continue to speak because leadership should always be about service, never performance.