An Impeachment with Nine Lives

An old English proverb (“A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays”) and a line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (“Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives”) may have floated the idea that cats have nine lives.

In other regions, such as Spain and some Spanish-speaking nations, the belief is that cats have seven lives, while Arabic traditions say they have six. The bottom line is that cats are believed to live multiple lives. Of course, it’s a myth. Cats simply have the ability to survive dangers such as heavy falls, snake bites, being left in the wilderness, or even natural disasters like heavy flooding, tsunamis, and earthquakes. They are known for their intelligence, dexterity, agility, and lightning-fast reflexes, which allow them to evade danger quickly and react rapidly when faced with threats. In short, Cats are naturally survivors.

Cats are “survivors” and here is why: Cats have a remarkable “righting reflex” that lets them twist their bodies mid-fall to land on all fours, aided by a flexible spine of 53 vertebrae, supple ligaments, and a high body-to-weight surface ratio that softens impact. Their keen senses—sharp night vision, acute hearing, and sensitive touch—help them detect danger early, while tiny collarbones allow them to flatten their bodies and slip through tight spaces, making escape easier. These traits help cats survive danger, but they still have one life.

The impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte is a bit like a cat—surviving several attempts at drowning and somehow still alive, though barely breathing.

Just recently, it faced another attempt to end it when a majority of Philippine senators voted 19 (in favor)–4(against)–1(abstain) to “archive” the case—essentially hushing it down and burying the articles of impeachment until further notice.

Prior to this, the impeachment dealt a setback when the Supreme Court, the highest court in the Philippines, voted unanimously, with 13-0–2, against its continuation, questioning its constitutionality.

“The Supreme Court En Banc on July 25, 2025, declared the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte unconstitutional, noting that it is barred by the one-year rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and that it violates the right to due process enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Therefore, the Senate could not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings.”

Nevertheless, hope flickered when several legal experts claimed that even though the Supreme Court stated its “ruling is immediately executory,” it is still not final, especially since the lower house filed a Motion for Reconsideration to breathe life into the impeachment.

Much earlier, the Senate had already moved to delay the process not once but twice—first by failing to act on it immediately, or “forthwith,” when the fourth impeachment complaint against the Vice President was transmitted to the Senate on 5 February 2025; and the second time was on 10 June 2025, when the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, remanded the articles of impeachment back to the House of Representatives and, as if that were not enough, demanded more conditions from the latter, also questioning the propriety of its procedures—like driving more nails into the coffin to ensure a slow, agonizing death for a cat that still refuses to die.

Recent statements indicate that if the Supreme Court reverses its decision, the Senate might take up the case, subject to its rules. There is an irony in these repeated attempts to drown the impeachment: the Senate faction is mustering its strength to keep the cat in the bag—no pun intended—while its actions are akin to trivializing transparency and normalizing unaccountability. Still, as the saying goes, there is an end to everything, for good or for ill.

Meanwhile, this epic saga of an impeachment reveals several things:

1). That the Constitution, by itself, is not justice; it is our actions that give justice its true meaning;

2). Weaponizing something like the Constitution—or even the Bible, which provides sustenance to our faith and serves as our anchor to salvation—is a grave betrayal of their true purpose, turning them into instruments of injustice against the very multitudes they are meant to protect;

(3). That following Christ and living up to His example is a serious matter—it is not a walk in the park. It requires discernment, examination of conscience, and more. It calls for self-denial as a form of sacrifice for the good of all, not just a few;

(4). That to sin is quite easy, almost effortless. All you have to do is follow someone who can smooth-talk you into believing they represent truth. Know the heart of the people you follow. If they are vain;  callous in words or in how they speak;  can twist words to suit their convenience;  are masterful in gaslighting;  are involved in illegal activities; are vindictive; belong to a cult;  or protect someone with vile behavior;  and so on, you can only see through these schemes if you are morally upright yourself—or at the very least, humble enough to be concerned about committing sin against God. The Ten Commandments are a concise set of rules you can use as a basis or checklist for choosing the right leaders to follow;

(5). That we are on our own, which is a scary thought. We are literally left to our own defenses. On the other hand, a smokescreen has been removed, and now we can see that we can no longer rely on these officials to take our needs and interests seriously. We are no longer blindsided by pretenses. The challenge is what we are to do with what we know now;

(6). That sometimes, choosing to keep quiet instead of trading insults is an act of compassion. It’s a way of conscientiously stopping a fight before it grows and keeps slander from taking root and turning into hatred or revenge.

(7). Last but not least, it’s time we seek forgiveness for our own sins. Go to Confession. Speak honestly about your wrongdoings—don’t leave anything out and don’t make excuses for your actions. Humble yourself before God and ask for His mercy and forgiveness. This opens the door for the Holy Spirit to return to our lives, clears our conscience, restores peace of mind, and keeps our hearts open only to the ways of God and of Christ, while turning us away from anything that could harm our spirit.

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