MANILA, Philippines — A mix-up of lines from past John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual movies spawned memes in just minutes after it was heard being used at the House justice committee’s hearing on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte earlier today.
The hearing mainly revolved on whether Sara’s November 2024 remarks about whether she would be killed, hiring someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez constituted grave threats and destabilization.
John Lloyd
Early on during proceedings, justice chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro recounted Sara’s lawyers advising the House justice committee to “be cautious, mag-ingat.”
Luistro then attributed “mag-ingat” to John Lloyd Cruz’s “One More Chance” character Popoy, “‘Yan talaga ang paalala ni Popoy, ingat tayo lahat.” The lawmaker referred to one of John Lloyd’s famous movie characters but the remark was actually popularized by the actor in a medicine commercial.
Akbayan representative Perci Cendaña nonetheless pounced on the reference and mentioned that citizens who filed the initial impeachment complaint against Sara last year were present at the hearing and this was their “one more chance” to see justice take its course.
Popoy or Piolo?
SAGIP representative Paolo Marcoleta, who is not a member of the House justice committee, gave a manifestation on whether a box containing the income tax returns of Sara and her husband Mans Caprio should be unsealed.
“Sabi nga ni Madam Chair, hawak niya ang beat, sino ba naman ako para pigilan ito?” Marcoleta said, referencing the viral song “Hawak Mo Ang Beat” from social media. “Sabi nga ng kanta, ‘Wag mong bibitawan, ‘wag niyo nang bitawan ‘yung box.’
The congressman continued by quoting what he thought was by a line by John Lloyd’s Popoy character, “I deserved an explanation, I deserved an acceptable reason.”
Cendaña went back to the popular movie “One More Chance” by referencing its sequel, “A Second Chance,” saying this was the committee’s “second chance” to hold Sara accountable for the alleged abuse of power and stealing the people’s money.
After a momentary suspension, Cendaña then pointed out that the line Marcoleta quoted was said by John Lloyd’s Popoy but was a dialogue by Piolo Pascual’s character Marco in the movie “Starting Over Again.”
“I hope as we decide on this matter, this will not lead us to starting over again,” Cendaña ended.
‘Designated Survivor’
The House Justice Committee ultimately voted not to unseal the box in question, though afterwards, FPJ Panday Bayanihan Rep. Brian Poe Llamanzares — adoptive grandson of National Artist for Broadcast Film Fernando Poe Jr. — gave a manifestation on the repetitive pop culture references.
“Kung pwede, can we refrain from using pop culture references in our manifestations and statements,” said the congressman. “This is a serious matter, this is the impeachment of the second-highest official in our government, and I believe it should be treated with the same amount of respect and gravity.”
The references, however, still continued as later in the hearing, a video was played of Sara in 2024 explaining she was skipping that year’s State of the Nation Address and “appointing herself as the ‘designated survivor.'”
Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua then explained that the concept of a “designated survivor” is the practice of the United States Government as popularized by the show of the same name starring Kiefer Sutherland.
The “designated survivor” is an individual in the presidential line of succession kept distant from others in line who gather to ensure that someone will still be able to assume the presidency should a catastrophic or mass-casualty event occur.
Butuan Rep. Joboy Aquino pointed out that the “Designated Survivor” show is “widely known to be fictional” and cautioned that Sara’s initial remark might have just been a figure of speech.
Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Jay-Jay Suarez also acknowledged that while “Designated Survivor” is fictional, its concept isn’t since the person who referenced it or appointed themselves as such is the one who benefits should anything indeed happen.
Additionally, “Designated Survivor” is not based on real events, though the United States continues to appoint “designated survivors” until today.
The committee voted unanimously to find probable cause to impeach Sara, clearing the way for a full House vote that could make her the first official in Philippine history to be impeached twice.
RELATED: House panel finds probable cause to impeach VP Sara Duterte
