MANILA. The House of Representatives confirmed it will process the impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, following its constitutional mandate, two lawmakers said on Tuesday.
Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman emphasized that the lower chamber is obligated to handle the complaint. “From a purely Constitutional point-of-view, bahagi ito ng mandato ng Kongreso. Kung mayroong nag-file ng impeachment complaint, we have no choice but to process the entire complaint,” she said during a media briefing.
Roman detailed the steps involved: “It has to go through the entire process — from the filing to the referral to the Justice Committee, to the deliberations, the voting, and if approved, the referral to the Senate.”
The impeachment complaint was filed on Monday afternoon by advocacy groups, including civil society organizations, religious leaders, sectoral representatives, and families of extrajudicial killing victims. Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña endorsed the complaint, which was officially received by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco at 4:30 p.m.
House Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog Party-list Representative Jude Acidre echoed Roman’s remarks, stating, “We are bound by the mandate to act on an impeachment complaint filed with the House. The leadership has yet to provide guidance on the matter, but we are ready to fulfill our Constitutionally bound duty.”
Both lawmakers expressed concerns about the timeline. Roman pointed out potential delays due to the upcoming election year:
“If we start by January, tapos mag-break ng bandang February at mag-resume, dahil election year, bandang Mayo na, kailan pa? But we have no choice but to fulfill our mandate.”
She assured the public that the process would be transparent: “Rest assured na kung ano man ang processing, deliberations, they will be transparent… Papakinggan natin lahat ng panig. Due process will be followed.”
Malacañang distanced itself from the proceedings. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin clarified, “The impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives by several private citizens is the complainants’ independent initiative, and its endorsement the prerogative of any Member of the House of Representatives. The Office of the President has nothing to do with it.”
The impeachment complaint emerged after Vice President Duterte made controversial remarks, stating she would have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez killed if she were assassinated.
Duterte later clarified that her statement was taken out of context, but it drew significant backlash from government officials and legal experts.
This marks a pivotal moment in the political landscape, as the House prepares to address a high-profile impeachment case under the scrutiny of the public and the Constitution.
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AMA ACLC San Pablo
