School Starts and Court Convenes

They’re back to June, finally. People have been badgering that the start of the school year go back to June, since it was moved forward in 2020. Now, it’s here. We realized the wisdom behind why schools in the Philippines open in June, not in September or January. Going through classes in the middle of the height of heat from March to May made students understand. It had been very difficult to achieve learning in very inconvenient conditions in which teachers and students struggle to concentrate in the convection of heat within concrete walls and electric fans that give very little comfort.

To clarify matters, back in 2020, school opening started later than traditional not because the Philippines was copying the American school year which starts in September. Lest we forget, the nation went on lockdown in the middle of March of that year. Classes were about to open in June as scheduled, albeit with modified modalities of delivery of instruction. But then, President Duterte issued a directive that schools would not open unless a Covid-19 vaccine would be available. In compliance to this, school opening was move to August (which did not push through), then moved to September (which also did not push through), and finally opened in October 2020. Of course, a school year which lasts ten months that started on October would not end in March, but in July. Consequently, schools opened in 2021 on September, in 2022 on November, in 2023 on August, and on 2024 on July. If you notice, since 2022, every year, the opening of classes was slowly creeping back to normal by an average of two months every year. It wasn’t like it was going to stay in October. So, they can stop complaining now. School’s back in June.

On the other hand, the college level would have to catch up after two or three school years; since they can’t drastically cut the months between the end of a previous school year and the beginning of a new one, because of curriculum required summer classes. The way I understand it is they would be inching back by a week or two every year, until such time that kindergarten pupils, PhD fellows and every student in between all start their terms in June. The moral of the story is some things should remain the way they are.

Another moral that we could gather is that schedules can be moved earlier to maximize accomplishment of work… just like moving for the impeachment court to convene earlier than planned (or has it been later than it should have been). Finally, the senators with less than three weeks in their terms, will wear judge’s robes in the impeachment trial.

I got confused. I thought Senate President Chiz Escudero was on President BBM’s side, and by default, not on the Duterte’s side. I remember when they abruptly ousted Senator Miguel Zubiri, Sen. Escudero with allied senators had some sort of luncheon at Malacanang the day after. So, I thought… that gave the impression that the coup was a presidentially sponsored one. But, it was already confusing then because Sen. Escudero had the strong support of Senator Bato dela Rosa. I’m pretty sure the Marcos-Duterte feud was already heating up by that time. So, I expected that Senate President Escudero would be strongly supportive on moves against any Duterte. But, since the start of the year, he has dilly-dallied around the definition of the word, “forthwith”. Now, even with the elections over and done, he still delayed the impeachment. Maybe, he’s not protecting the Vice President (or is he?), but the optics look like it. I thought, his Senate presidency was supported by Malacanang. Now, he has seemed to support VP Sarah Duterte. This has gotten more confusing than the annual changing schedule of the opening of classes. Maybe, the support or allegiance is not simply a duality of whether for Marcos, or for Duterte. Maybe, the reasons are far more complicated than the optics. I still don’t get all the delay. Did they have so many priority bills to pass? As Senator Coco Pimentel noted, it would be just a matter of time management.

What would have happened had they not convened for the impeachment before adjournment? Should the incoming House of Representatives need to file another articles of impeachment? Does the articles carry over to the next Congress?

Now that they’ve finally begun, they’re arguing whether to end it? What’s the deal with the motion to dismiss? What’s the point of starting the thing if they would end it immediately. Just go through with it.

But apparently, they found a way to evade it without dismissal or actual trial. They’re returning the articles to Congress. This should be the shortest impeachment trial with no actual trial. Since no official could be impeached twice, Congress has to wait for next year if they really want this.

Even if the Vice President gets impeached, she would be only deposed from position. If anything, I’m afraid that it would only boost her popularity. It would definitely fuel the fervor for reprisal and retaliation from dedicated and die-hard supporters.

This June, school starts and court convenes.

Philippians 3:14 “…straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal…”