Lawmakers on Thursday lashed out at Sen. Imee Marcos, saying her call to replace House Speaker Martin Romualdez is “unwarranted, undemocratic, and unwise.”
“This is not about Speaker Romualdez. This is about the institutional mandate of the House to initiate impeachment. Trying to pin this all on one man is a cheap political trick,” House Deputy Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong said.
The Mindanao lawmaker said that instead of attacking the Speaker, senators should “focus on their constitutional duty to try impeached officials—not run away from it.”
“The Speaker does not serve at the pleasure of the Senate. He serves because the House overwhelmingly trusts him to lead us in a time of great political responsibility. And he has done so with utmost integrity,” Adiong said.
“Maybe the better question is: Why is the Senate avoiding accountability? Why archive a complaint when the Supreme Court hasn’t even ruled with finality yet?” he asked.
For his part, Deputy Speaker and Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun called on Sen. Marcos to exercise caution and restraint when weighing in on the internal affairs of the House of Representatives, stressing that the selection of its leader is a matter solely for its members to decide.
Khonghun said the remark of the lady senator, a known friend and staunch supporter of the Dutertes, was “out of bounds” when she suggested that Romualdez, her cousin, should be replaced over the transmittal of impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“She should step on the brakes a little bit. There is a limit as to what you can say in public, especially when it destroys the reputation of other institutions,” Khonghun said in Filipino.
He underscored the fundamental principle that co-equal branches of government should refrain from meddling in each other’s internal decisions, especially when it comes to choosing their leaders.
Khonghun said Sen. Marcos’s remarks risked not just political tensions but also the breakdown of mutual respect that the legislative branch depends on.
“What was said was not just a personal opinion. It became a public provocation. And when a senator calls for the ouster of the House Speaker, that’s not just political noise anymore; it becomes borderline interference,” the lawmaker pointed out.
He added that Romualdez retains the solid support of the overwhelming majority of House members.
“Let’s be clear: Speaker Romualdez was chosen by his peers. He has led with clarity and vision, even amid difficult and sensitive political moments. That kind of leadership doesn’t get replaced just because one senator says so,” he said.
Meanwhile, House Committee on Higher and Technical Education chairman Jude Acidre of Tingog Party-list cautioned senators against deflecting public scrutiny by attacking the House Speaker in their apparent attempt to justify the Senate’s dismissal of the impeachment complaint against Duterte.
“Let’s not twist the narrative. The House did its job, and we followed the process. Kung may dapat magpaliwanag ngayon, hindi ang Kamara kundi ang Senado. You can’t defend one branch of government by attacking another,” Acidre said.
This came after Senate President Chiz Escudero hinted that political ambitions may have influenced the House’s pursuit of the impeachment process.
“These are dangerous statements that cross a line. Tama na ang parinigan o intrigahan. Alam naman nating lahat na this is about accountability, not ambition. The Speaker presided over a constitutional process, not a political operation,” Acidre stressed.
The lawmaker emphasized that the House, through a vote of 215 members, fulfilled its constitutional duty to transmit the verified Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.
