THE House of Representatives on Tuesday night adopted a resolution authorizing the Committee on Justice to continue impeachment proceedings during the congressional recess from March 21 to May 3, 2026, and to provide adequate protection to witnesses and complainants.
House Resolution (HR) No. 892, introduced by Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos of Ilocos Norte, and Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan of 4Ps Party-list allow the justice panel to act on impeachment-related matters even when the House is not in session.
The resolution stated, “Following standard parliamentary rules, House committees can keep holding authorized hearings and doing their work even when the House is not in session, as long as they have the House’s permission.”
“Under the Rules of the House of Representatives, committees are authorized to conduct hearings, receive evidence, and issue compulsory processes, including subpoenas a d testificandum and subpoenas duces tecum, in aid of the performance of their mandate and functions,” it added.
The resolution also empowers the Justice panel to implement Section 8 of the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings, particularly provisions related to the protection of complainants and witnesses involved in the case.
Under the measure, the committee is authorized to implement Section 8 of the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings, which provides that: “The House may, upon proper petition, provide adequate protection to a complainant or witness if it is shown that the personal safety of the complainant or witness is in jeopardy because of participating in the impeachment proceeding.”
They said the move is meant to ensure the safety of individuals participating in impeachment proceedings, noting that such cases involve testimony and evidence concerning high public officials that may expose complainants and witnesses to “threats, intimidation, harassment, or retaliation.”
The resolution recognizes that protecting participants is necessary to encourage the “truthful disclosure of relevant information” and to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.
It also affirmed that the House, under the Constitution, has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases and may exercise incidental powers needed to carry out this duty, including safeguarding those who take part in the process.
“Such authority shall be exercised consistent with the Constitution, existing laws, the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings, and the requirements of due process,” they said.
In addition, it may coordinate with relevant government agencies such as the Department of Justice (DoJ), Philippine National Police (PNP), and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in implementing appropriate protective measures.
The resolution allows the panel to set and adjust hearing schedules, adopt confidentiality protocols and promulgate internal guidelines to ensure the effective implementation of witness protection measures.
All actions, orders and processes issued by the committee during the recess will remain valid and enforceable, with proceedings deemed as acts of the House in the exercise of its constitutional power to initiate impeachment cases.
At the same time, the measure underscores that nothing in the resolution shall diminish the constitutional rights of respondents or the requirements of due process
“Nothing in this resolution shall be construed to diminish or impair the constitutional rights of respondents in impeachment proceedings, the requirements of due process, or the constitutional prerogatives of the House of Representatives under Article XI of the Constitution,” they said.
