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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Romualdez slams Senate's 'rushed burial' of VP Duterte impeachment complaint

Romualdez slams Senate's 'rushed burial' of VP Duterte impeachment complaint

Published Aug 7, 2025 01:48 pm

At A Glance

  • For House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the Senate's archiving of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte was--simply put--a rushed burial.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez (PPAB)
House Speaker Martin Romualdez (PPAB)


For House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the Senate's archiving of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte was--simply put--a rushed burial.
"Let’s be clear: The filing of the complaint was not rushed. What was rushed—remarkably—was its burial," Romualdez said in a statement Thursday, Aug. 7.
On Wednesday night, the Senate upheld the motion to archive the House-initiated impeachment rap via nominal vote result of 19-4-1 (yes-no-abstain).
The movant, Senator Rodante Marcoleta, had originally wanted to dismiss the complaint outright, but it was amended in order to fit the Senate plenary rules. But Romualdez--like his House colleagues--seems to believe "archive" is synonymous with "kill" in this particular case.
The ignominy of the Senate action wasn't lost on the leader of the House of Representatives.
"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," Romualdez said.
"We do not rise against the Senate. We rise for the Republic," added the Leyte 1st district representative and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) president.
Last July 25, the Supreme Court (SC)--action on a petition by the Vice President’s camp--declared the impeachment complaint as unconstitutional due to a technicality. This effectively voided the articles of impeachment.
However, the case remains "active" based on the SC's own actions, as far as the Speaker is concerned.
"To archive is, in effect, to bury the articles of impeachment. Yet the ruling of the [SC] is not final. On Aug. 5, the House of Representatives filed a motion for reconsideration (MR). The court found our arguments serious enough to require the respondents, including the Vice President, to submit their comment. The case is active," explained Romualdez, a lawyer.
Romualdez also responded to insinuations that mere politics were the behind the quest to place Vice President Duterte on trial before a Senate impeachment court.
"This was never about political maneuvering. It was about accountability—pananagutan—anchored on verified facts and sworn documents," he said.
"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," he added.
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