Various sectors of society gathered at Claret School of Quezon City (CSQC) on Saturday, June 13, for the launch of Bantay Impeachment: A Citizen Watch Campaign for Accountability, Justice, and Truth, an initiative led by Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (KBKK).
The campaign seeks to promote public awareness and vigilance as the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte continue to unfold. According to organizers, the initiative aims to help citizens better understand the impeachment process and its implications for governance, public accountability, and the welfare of the Filipino people.
Participants included representatives from civil society organizations, academic institutions, and other concerned sectors.
In his welcome message, Fr. Victor F. Sadaya, CMF, PhD, Director of Claret School of Quezon City, welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of dialogue and civic engagement on matters affecting the nation. He also cited the line, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” stressing the urgency of raising a collective voice against corruption that deprives classrooms of books, hospitals of medicine, and communities of livelihood opportunities due to the corruption of public funds.
Members of the House prosecution panel attended the program and presented information on the impeachment case, outlining issues and evidence expected to form part of the proceedings before the impeachment court.
Organizers said the campaign was launched amid continuing uncertainty surrounding the impeachment process, despite the Senate’s formal convening as an impeachment court. They stressed the need for sustained public attention and scrutiny to help ensure a fair, transparent, and evidence-based trial.
According to KBKK, Bantay Impeachment seeks to bridge legal and constitutional issues with the daily realities of ordinary Filipinos, translating complex questions of alleged constitutional violations, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust into narratives that resonate with lived experience. The campaign also aims to strengthen public vigilance as a counterforce to any attempt to delay, derail, or weaken the impeachment process.
Among its objectives are educating the public on the significance of the impeachment process, translating legal issues into accessible narratives, building sustained public pressure for accountability, monitoring attempts to undermine the proceedings, and mobilizing civil society participation in safeguarding democratic institutions.
The invitation to provide space for the launch reflects CSQC’s mission as a Catholic educational institution. Rooted in this mission, the school holds that education is not confined to the classroom but extends into the life of society, where questions of truth, justice, and accountability must be continually discerned. In this light, dialogue on public issues becomes a formative space for conscience, inviting reflection on the demands of citizenship and the shared pursuit of the common good.
The program concluded with a call for continued public vigilance and informed engagement as the impeachment proceedings move forward. #ScientiaMaximeCumVirtute
Photos: Lydia Garciano and Kelvin Dalaza
