DEPUTY Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union on Thursday called for mutual respect and institutional prudence between the two chambers of Congress, following remarks by Sen. Imee Marcos concerning the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
“Strong statements may grab headlines, but they do little to uphold the dignity of our institutions,” said Ortega, one of the leaders of the House Young Guns. “We must not allow a legitimate constitutional process like impeachment to be dragged into a political circus.”
The House leader emphasized that Speaker Romualdez simply carried out his role as presiding officer of the House, which had garnered the constitutionally required one-third vote to transmit the impeachment complaint against the Vice President.
“The Speaker did not act alone. This was a collective institutional decision—one rooted in the Constitution,” Ortega clarified.
“Calls for his removal overlook that fact and risk personalizing what is, at its core, a constitutional process. Let us set aside divisiveness and stand by the rule of law,” Ortega added.
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