In the Philippines, peace is a slippery little creature, always darting between rallies and shrines, dodging placards and sermons. 

On one side, the INC faithful stood shoulder to shoulder, proclaiming “Peace!” as they defended VP Sara Duterte from impeachment. Their version of peace seemed to involve a lot of chanting and suspiciously choreographed waving of posters. Just days later, at the EDSA Shrine, another group held a mass for peace, but their prayers came with a caveat: “Peace, but impeach her first!”

The irony? Both sides were dead serious about their peaceful intentions.

Where lies the peace? Probably stuck in gridlock, along with the rest of us, wondering how it all came to this.