The Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte takes center stage after the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach her on explosive charges: misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and death threats.

But amid the noise of partisan warfare that is expected to characterize the impeachment trial, Congress must not slow down in its equally important task of addressing the daily suffering of the Filipino people, which has been worsened by the Middle East crisis.

While our legislators are obliged to fulfill their impeachment mandate in pursuit of constitutional accountability, let me say that the people — in whom sovereignty resides and from whom all government authority emanates — cannot eat impeachment hearings.

I feel the need to put it bluntly because of the danger that the impeachment proceedings could consume the nation’s political oxygen while urgent national problems are pushed aside.

Amid the spectacle of the trial in the Senate, millions of Filipinos continue to wake up to the same unforgiving realities: soaring food prices, high electricity costs, inadequate housing, low wages, and economic uncertainty, among others.

Thus, Congress must not get bogged down, even temporarily, in its essential task of finding solutions — through legislation and oversight — to the energy crisis, food security, corruption, housing shortages, high prices, and other pressing needs of the people.

The country’s energy crisis alone demands relentless attention. For decades, Filipinos have suffered from the second highest electricity rates in Asia, next only to Japan. It is a burden that crushes households and discourages investors. Businesses struggle with operational costs, while consumers are forced to sacrifice other essentials just to keep the lights on.

Instead of allowing the impeachment trial to paralyze legislative work, Congress should use this moment to prove that our institutions can multitask. The impeachment trial may dominate headlines, but legislative committees handling agriculture, labor, energy, housing, and other concerns must continue functioning at full speed.

In fact, recent data from OCTA Research show that economic anxiety has become the defining national mood, with inflation ranked as the top concern across all socioeconomic classes, reflecting the growing pain felt by households nationwide.

OCTA’s latest “Tugon ng Masa” survey, conducted from March 19 to 25, found that 45 percent of Filipinos consider controlling the increase in prices of basic goods and services the most urgent national issue the government must address.

Even more revealing are Filipinos’ personal worries. The survey found that staying healthy and avoiding illness emerged as the top personal concern of Filipinos, cited by 67 percent of respondents. Other concerns include having enough food every day, having a stable and well-paying job, having savings, and being able to send children to school.

The survey numbers say far more about the true condition of the country. They reveal a population increasingly anxious not about political drama or maneuvering, but about survival itself.

The findings are especially alarming because the survey was conducted before the full impact of rising oil prices and global instability was felt in the Philippines. Analysts warn that higher fuel, transport, and food costs could prolong household suffering in the coming months.

Many Filipinos are already struggling—and things may still get worse. This is why Congress cannot afford to become consumed entirely by impeachment proceedings.

The OCTA survey captures this anxiety clearly. Beyond inflation itself, Filipinos identified wages, corruption, affordable food access, and poverty among their top national concerns. The message from the public is unmistakable: people want government focused on economic relief and practical solutions.

Corruption, meanwhile, remains both a political issue and an economic burden. While the impeachment trial itself revolves partly around allegations involving public funds, Filipinos are increasingly tired of selective accountability—where corruption becomes intolerable only when committed by political rivals.

If government wants to restore public trust, it must show that accountability applies to everyone equally.

Housing and healthcare also demand far greater urgency. Public hospitals remain overcrowded; healthcare in private hospitals and clinics remains expensive; and many families continue postponing medical care because they simply cannot afford it.

The OCTA survey’s finding that health is now the top personal concern among Filipinos should alarm policymakers. A population worried about getting sick is often one medical emergency away from financial collapse.

The acute housing shortage also remains a serious problem, and millions still live in overcrowded communities vulnerable to flooding, fire, and extreme weather.

Yet despite all these pressing needs, there is always the risk that politics — particularly toxic partisan politics — will once again consume the nation’s full attention.

The impeachment trial will undoubtedly shape the country’s political future and may redefine alliances. But history will judge the political class harshly if, during this impeachment spectacle, lawmakers fail to address the worsening hardships faced by ordinary citizens.

Public office is not merely about defeating political rivals or surviving scandals. It is about governing effectively while crises unfold in real time.

The Senate must therefore conduct the impeachment proceedings with fairness, seriousness, and integrity. But Congress as a whole must continue legislating or doing oversight function with urgency to address pressing problems.

Because outside the halls of power, millions of Filipinos are not asking for more political warfare.

They are asking for affordable food, lower prices, stable jobs, decent healthcare, honest governance, and the chance to live with dignity.

That — more than any impeachment trial — is the real battle that truly matters to many ordinary Filipinos. ([email protected])