House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

The House of Representatives is merely acting on the grievances being expressed by its members, nothing more. 

Speaker Martin Romualdez gave this response when asked Thursday, Nov. 23 whether or not the chamber had been prioritizing measures that sought to declare the Philippine government's cooperation with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) planned probe on the previous Duterte administration’s bloody war against illegal drugs.  

"Well as they say, this is what you call, this is the sense of the House of Representatives," Romualdez said during a press conference at the start of the 31st Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City. 

"There [is a] succession of resolution[s] that are being filed and of course as a matter of course, we have to read out these bills or resolutions and we have to act on the same. And we have to be sensitive and responsive to the, mga hinaing po ng ating mga kongresista (to the congressmen's grievances)," said the leader of the 300-plus strong House. 

"And so we have to look at it. One at a time. And within the [tall] context of the current events. That’s where we leave it," he added. 

On Wednesday, the House Committees on Human Rights and on Justice discussed for the first time House resolutions (HR) that sought to declare the Philippine government's support for the ICC investigation. 

Tackled specifically were HR Nos. 1393 and 1477. A similarly-themed measure, HR No.1482, was filed Tuesday but was not made part of the joint panel discussion. 

"We don't read much more into it than what other people do, but nonetheless they are still entitled to their own views and even speculations, but we leave it to that," Romualdez said. 

The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president and Leyte 1st district representative pointed out that the plenary would still have to vote whether or not to adopt such resolution. 

"We just do it as a matter of course and come what may that, whatever outcome will be, we will call the sense of the House of Representatives on whatever it decides by manner of vote," he explained. 

Should it push through, the ICC probe in the Philippines would place former president Rodrigo Duterte in a precarious position. 

The former president and architect of the drug war is the father of incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte.