WHEN Leyte 1st District Congressman Martin Romualdez resigned from his post as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Sept. 17 this year amid allegations of widespread anomalies in flood control and infrastructure projects, he said: “I leave this chamber as I first entered it: a humble servant ready to serve wherever duty may call. I step down not in surrender but in service.”
He pointed out that the issues surrounding infrastructure projects had raised questions “not only upon me, but upon this institution we all serve.”
He emphasized that “our people are seeking clarity and, above all, trust. Tungkulin natin na ito ay maibalik (our duty is to restore it).”
Further on, he explained he had decided to resign “so that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure] may pursue its mandate freely and fully—without doubt, without interference, and without undue influence.”
In the end, Romualdez said he resigned “to allow full accountability and transparency in the wake of controversies hounding infrastructure projects…and (to show) that no one is above scrutiny.”
Romualdez’s resignation was triggered by growing public outrage over alleged corruption in flood-control and other infrastructure projects, and concern that the credibility of the House was being compromised.
In choosing to step down voluntarily as an act of service and institutional duty, he likewise affirmed his intention to allow independent investigation and restore trust in the legislature.
It should be pointed out that Romualdez was not formally removed via a motion by the members of the House to vacate his position; instead it was his personal decision to step down.
“Leadership also demands that we confront the trials of the present. The longer I stay, the heavier that burden grows on me, on this House, and on the President I have always sought to support.”
What Romualdez’s decision to resign from his high position as House Speaker (and fourth place in the line in the succession in the event the President could no longer discharge official functions for one reason or another) underscores his unswerving commitment to the rule of law in the country.
The rule of law, after all, is what distinguishes a democracy from other forms of government.
Its basic premise is that all individuals and institutions, whether public and private, powerful and ordinary, are equally subject to laws that are fairly applied and enforced. It ensures that no one is above the law and that legal processes are transparent, predictable, and just.
In this sense, the rule of law is more than a legal abstraction.
It is a demand for accountability and transparency.
Whether confronting corruption in flood control projects or defending the right of the citizenry to petition for redress of grievances, invoking the rule of law means demanding that power be exercised within clear and enforceable limits.
