Civilian officials in the House of Representatives usually keep their thoughts to themselves on political issues, but Senator Imee Marcos' scathing speech Wednesday nightt, Aug. 6 struck a nerve with Deputy Secretary General Sofinias Gabonada.

"Senator Imee’s explanation of her vote was not just unparliamentary, it was unworthy of the chamber she represents. In seeking to wound the Speaker, she has bruised the very dignity of the House, an institution co-equal, not beneath," Gabonada wrote in a Facebook post.

During the plenary vote on whether or not to archive the House-initiated impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator Marcos took personal shots at House Speaker Martin Romualdez, her own cousin.

In a mocking and condescending tone, the lady senator and known ally of Vice President Duterte prodded the House members "to replace your Speaker".

For Gabonada, this breached both decency and parliamentary courtesy.

"There is power in dissent, but none in disrespect...We may differ in our politics, in our visions, in our loyalties, but those differences should never give birth to mockery," he said.

The deputy secretary general argued that while Speaker Romualdez wasn't perfect, nobody is. "The House may have its flaws, but which institution is without its scars?"

Gabonada took great exception to Senator Marcos' "belittling" of the House in relation to the impeachment complaint, which pundits said was essentially killed by the Senate with its action to archive.

"To belittle the House is to belittle the will of the people we serve. And to scorn its leader is to spit on the sanctity of the democratic mandate. The Senate does not sit above the House. It stands beside it. Equal in power, equal in responsibility, equal in honor," he said.

"If criticism must be made, let it be noble. Let it be free of pettiness and poison. For when one branch seeks to insult another, it is not just rivalry, it is betrayal," he added, referring to Senator Marcos' remarks.

Gabonada vowed that the House will defend its leader, Romualdez.

"The House will rise, not with arrogance, but with resolve. We defend our Speaker not out of blind allegiance, but out of loyalty to truth, decency, and the institution that has long been the voice of the Filipino people,” he said.

Romualdez represents Leyte's 1st district in the House of Representatives. He sits as Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president.