Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez has maintained that impeachment process is an exclusive mandate of Congress, taking exceptions to a Supreme Court (SC) ruling that the initiative to oust President Sara Duterte was unconstitutional.
Romualdez issued his argument in remarks following his assumption as Speaker of the House..
“And today, as we formally begin this new chapter, we do so amid a development that once again calls us to reflect on our sacred constitutional duty — the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision on the impeachment case filed against the Vice President,” Romualdez said.
“Let me say this with the utmost respect: The Supreme Court has spoken, and we recognize its decision. But let it never be said that the House of the People bowed in silence,” he added.
“At the same time, we draw a line: the power to initiate impeachment is the exclusive domain of this Chamber. It flows from the people’s will and rests solely on the clear language of the Constitution. It is neither granted nor guided by any outside institution,” he asserted.
According to Romualdez, the SC may close a case, but it cannot close a cause. The pursuit of accountability is not a moment — it is a mandate.”
“We are not moved by personalities, but by principles. We are not driven by vendetta, but by vigilance. Our goal has never been to destroy — only to demand the truth,” the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president said.
“When institutions falter, the House of the People always stands firm. When others fear the storm, your House holds the line,” he stressed.
The Supreme Court on Friday declared unconstitutional the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.
SC spokesperson Camille Ting, in a news conference, explained that the Senate could not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings.
The High Tribunal cited the one-year bar rule stressing that “due process or fairness applies in all stages of the impeachment process.”
At the Senate, three senators issued a joint statement on the Supreme Court decision.
“We respectfully disagree with the Supreme Court’s ruling that halted the Senate’s constitutional duty to try the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte,” said Senators Risa Hontiveros, Paolo Benigno Aquino, and Francis Pangilinan.
The senators argued that the Senate was merely performing its duty when it prepared to try the complaint initiated and transmitted by the House of Representatives.
They said the ruling unfairly applied a new interpretation of what it means to “initiate” an impeachment case, retroactively changing the legal basis after proceedings were already underway.
“Former Supreme Court Justice Adolfo Azcuna, a respected constitutionalist and framer, called it what it is: legally defensible, perhaps, but grossly unfair,” they said.
The senators appealed to the justices to uphold two longstanding legal doctrines: the Fairness Principle and the Doctrine of Operative Facts.
They argued that those who acted in good faith based on existing jurisprudence should not be punished by the retroactive application of new interpretations.
Under the Doctrine of Operative Facts, they said actions already carried out under a previous, valid understanding of the law should remain legally effective.
“In doing so, the Court would not be undermining its power of review, but rather giving full effect to all branches of government,” they said.
“The powers of the Court, the House of Representatives, and the Senate must all be given proper and balanced effect,” the senators added.
The statement warned that allowing the decision to stand would weaken the very mechanisms designed to ensure government accountability.
The senators also called on institutions, citizens, and the judiciary to help reconcile the Constitution’s provisions on judicial review and legislative power.
“We did not swear an oath only to protect positions by way of technicalities. We swore to protect the Constitution, and the right of every Filipino to demand truth and justice,” the statement concluded.
