Speaker: Impeachment not political maneuvering but for accountability
The leadership of the House of Representatives vowed to continue the fight for truth and accountability even as it lambasted the killing and “rushed burial” by the Senate of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Speaker Martin Romualdez underscored the Supreme Court ruling junking the Articles of Impeachment as unconstitutional is not yet final.
“On Aug. 5, the House of Representatives filed a motion for reconsideration. The court found our arguments serious enough to require the respondents, including the Vice President, to submit their comment,” he said.
“The case is active,” Romualdez added.
He also fired back at senators who accused the House of being driven by politics in pursuing Duterte’s impeachment.
“Let’s be clear: The filing of the complaint was not rushed. What was rushed—remarkably—was its burial,” he said.
“This was never about political maneuvering. It was about accountability—pananagutan—anchored on verified facts and sworn documents.”
“Yet we have been met with personal attacks, sweeping accusations, and a narrative that seeks to reduce a solemn constitutional duty into mere power play. That’s not just unfair—it is dangerous. It undermines public trust in the very tools of democratic checks and balances,” Romualdez added.
Nineteen senators voted to archive the complaint, while four opposed the motion and one abstained.
Romualdez said the Senate action to archive the impeachment case was tantamount to killing it.
“This moment will be remembered. And when it is, we hope it will be said: That the House stood its ground. That we honored our constitutional duty. That we acted not for ourselves, but for the Filipino people,” he said.
“We do not rise against the Senate. We rise for the Republic,” the Speaker added.
Vice President Sara Duterte, for her part, celebrated with her legal team following the Senate’s decision.
Davao City councilor Luna Acosta posted photos of the celebration on Facebook Thursday.
“Thanksgiving celebration with VP Sara Duterte, the legal team and the petitioners who pushed for the dismissal of the impeachment against VP Sara. Ngiting tagumpay,” Acosta said.
“We still have to file a comment to the Motion for Reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives, but we are confident in our legal arguments and believe that due process and the rule of law remain supreme above all. Para sa bayan!” she added.
As this developed, Senate President Francis Escudero criticized former justices who questioned the High Court’s decision rejecting the Articles of Impeachment.
“I was part of the Congress that attempted to impeach former Chief Justice Hilario Davide. Why did I say attempted? Because we were stopped by the Supreme Court. The SC issued an injunction and a temporary restraining order,” Escudero said.
Escudero said retired SC justices Conchita Carpio-Morales, Antonio Carpio, and Adolfo Azcuna and former chief justices Reynato Puno and Artemio Panganiban all voted in 2003 that the second impeachment complaint against Davide was barred under the one-year ban rule.
“Where are all those who are complaining now and are questioning the Supreme Court’s decision? The justices who are questioning it now voted in favor of it back then,” he added.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, on the other hand, said the issues surrounding the impeachment case should be resolved.
“We shouldn’t move on yet. There are important issues that still need to be resolved. There are lessons we need to learn from it. And through that learning, we will hold those accountable,” she said.
At the House, lawmakers expressed deep concern over the Senate’s move to archive the impeachment complaint, calling it a “dangerous precedent” that weakens the constitutional process of accountability.
“The Senate’s action sends the wrong message: that accountability may be set aside. That should never be the case in a democracy governed by laws,” House Committee on Human Rights chairman Bienvenido Abante Jr. said.
Abante warned public officials may now be emboldened to ignore questions of propriety or legality—especially if they enjoy political popularity or are seen as future contenders for higher office.
“The impeachment process is not about 2028. It is about whether public funds were used during a time when no legal mandate had yet been conferred to an office. That is a clear question of constitutional integrity—not political ambition,” he said.
Abante also took issue with how some senators appeared to dismiss the complaint as politically motivated without addressing the substance of the allegations.
“Impeachment is not a political circus. It is a constitutional mechanism designed to hold high officials accountable. When we reduce it to mere political noise, we erode the very institutions we swore to uphold,” he said.
“The House did not weaponize impeachment—we exercised it in accordance with the Constitution. The question before us was not ‘Who wants to run in 2028?’ but ‘Were public funds used in a manner that requires accountability?’” Abante added.
Sought for comment, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated he has “very little role” to play in the impeachment proceedings.
“I have not refused to comment on the impeachment process. I’ve just said, I’ve just made it very clear that the executive, the President has very little role to play in that process,” Mr. Marcos said in an interview with India’s Firstpost.
“So we are, of course, very interested parties, very interested observers, but it doesn’t go beyond that,” he added.
