HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Thursday criticized the Senate’s decision to archive the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, questioning the timing given the Supreme Court’s ongoing review of the case.
Romualdez accused the Senate of effectively “burying” the Articles of Impeachment before a final ruling from the high court.
“Why the rush?” Romualdez asked, highlighting that the Supreme Court has yet to issue a final decision on the matter. The House, he noted, filed a Motion for Reconsideration on August 5th, prompting the Court to request responses from the respondents, including the Vice President. “The case is active,” Romualdez emphasized.
The Speaker reiterated the House’s exclusive constitutional authority to initiate impeachment proceedings, asserting that this power is “final within its sphere.” He defended the House’s actions as lawful, transparent, and undertaken in good faith, driven by a duty to seek answers from the Vice President, who, he claimed, never provided them.
Romualdez explained that the verified complaint, supported by over one-third of the House (215 members), automatically triggered the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, requiring no further action. He dismissed accusations of political maneuvering, stating that the process was solely about accountability based on verified facts and sworn documents.
He decried the subsequent personal attacks and false narratives, warning that such tactics endanger democratic institutions and public trust. Romualdez contrasted the deliberate process of filing the complaint with the Senate’s hasty archiving, stating, “The filing of the complaint was not rushed. What was rushed—remarkably—was its burial.”
Romualdez concluded by asserting the House’s commitment to upholding its constitutional duty and acting in the best interests of the Filipino people. He emphasized that this action was not against the Senate but for the Republic, vowing to continue the fight for the Constitution, the rule of law, and accountability in public office.
