CMSP and mission partners strongly condemn the deliberate delay in impeachment of Philippines’ Vice President

The Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Commission of the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP) and mission partners strongly condemn the deliberate delay in the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement that was read after the homily at the 5:30 p.m. Mass on June 5 during the Misa ng Bayan held at the centuries-old San Agustin Church in Intramuros in Manila, they denounced the ongoing political maneuvering in the Senate.

They spoke with humility but with urgency and conviction. “In a time clouded by deception and complicit silence, we are called by the Gospel to stand up for truth and denounce injustice,” CMSP said.

“Truth delayed is justice denied,” they said of the political maneuvering within the Senate, led by Duterte-aligned senators and Senate President Chiz Escudero.

“Because of his ambition to retain power, Escudero has allowed the Senate—once a respected institution of statesmanship and public service—to be turned into a playground for partisanship,” said CMSP.

This is not the kind of leadership that the nation deserves or that democracy demands. “When the Senate prioritizes the interests of a few over the welfare of the people, it betrays its constitutional duty and the trust of the Filipino people,” said CMSP.

Invoking their prophetic duty, CSMP said, “We do not speak for any political party or candidate. We speak because faith has social consequences. We speak because our consecrated lives are not for personal gain, but for God and His people—especially the poor, the vulnerable, and the deceived.”

They added, “To remain silent in the face of corruption is to participate in sin. To ignore the manipulation of truth is to turn our backs on the Gospel.”

CMSP called on the Senate “to fulfill its constitutional duty to try the impeachment case with integrity, courage, and transparency. If there is nothing to hide, then there is nothing to fear.”

“Leadership is not about self-preservation. Power is not to be used to protect the powerful but to uphold justice. Now is the time to lead with moral conviction,” CMSP addressed Escudero.

“Face the process. A true leader does not evade accountability. If you are innocent, prove it under the light of law and truth,” CMSP also addressed Duterte.

CMSP appealed, especially to the youth, to “take a stand, to hold on to hope, to act now and not to let deception win, believing everyone is called to be voices of truth, light in darkness, and salt that heals the wounds of a broken system.”

“Despite all this, we continue to hope. We place our hope not in leaders whose loyalties fluctuate, but in the truth that emanates from God. We believe the Filipino people still have the strength to rise again. We believe that every voice raised in truth is never in vain,” said CMSP.