House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House of Representatives cannot act on an impeachment complaint against President Marcos while Congress remains in recess, even as a Palace spokesperson said such a move would go “nowhere”.
The complaint was submitted Thursday by Ronald and Marie Cardema of the Duterte Youth party list.
“Well, we’re not there yet, we’re not in session right now. So, not much can be done, right?” the Speaker told reporters in Filipino on the sidelines of a campaign sortie Thursday evening.
“And as far as I know, even the Secretary-General is attending a seminar. So, we may have to wait for the proper time to consider that,” Romualdez added.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the government only honored its commitment to Interpol to serve the warrant issued by the ICC.
“It’s their right, if they want to file [an impeachment complaint]. But let me reiterate, the way we see it, this complaint is going nowhere. Let me repeat, the President and the administration only carried out their duties and the law as well as their commitment to Interpol,” she said in Filipino.
Castro maintained that Duterte’s arrest and surrender to the international tribunal were above board, and criticisms against the government’s actions concerning his crimes against humanity case are baseless.
In their complaint, the Cardemas alleged violations of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust regarding former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and detention in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
When asked about the complaint’s timing, Romualdez, also president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), responded, “Well, I really don’t know. I don’t know what inspired them. But just let them be.”
Other congressmen downplayed the impending impeachment complaint against the President, with Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre labeling it a mere political maneuver.
For his part, House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V called it a “cheap and desperate publicity stunt” that has no place in a functioning democracy.
“I will personally protect the President from this baseless and malicious attack,” Ortega declared. “The so-called impeachment complaint is a mere political gimmick, designed to distract the public from the real work of nation-building under the leadership of President Marcos.”
He also pointed out that the impeachment complaint by Ronald and Marie Cardema had not even been officially received by the House of Representatives, yet was already being circulated to the media.
“They haven’t even filed the complaint yet, and they are already using it to gain media mileage,” Ortega said.
“This tells you everything you need to know—it’s not about justice, it’s about clout,” he added.
Ortega emphasized that the Marcos administration has made tremendous progress in economic recovery, infrastructure, agriculture, and social programs—gains that should be protected, not undermined by political stunts.
“In La Union and across the country, we see the results of good governance under PBBM. We will not allow attention-seekers to hijack the national agenda for their own selfish ambitions,” he stressed.
