House Secretary General Reginald Velasco (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)

The Secretary General of the House of Representatives has plenty of time to submit the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte to the Office of the Speaker.

This, after Secretary General Reginald Velasco told House reporters that only three session days have lapsed since Dec. 2, or when the first impeachment complaint against the lady official was lodged before this office.

"Since the first complaint was filed, only 3 (three) session days [have passed]," Velasco said in a message.

According to House rules, the secretary general has 10 session days to transmit the complaints to the Speaker's office, which would then bring the complaints to the powerful Committee on Rules.

It is the Committee on Rules that will refer during plenary session the impeachment raps to the Committee on Justice. The justice panel will then hold hearings to determine whether or not the complaints are sufficient in form and in substance.

But how could only three session days lapse sicne Dec. 2? For starters, the House of Representatives has been on holiday break since Dec. 19, and will not resume sessions until Jan. 13.

Session days are held in the House only on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. 

Here's the key consoderation: One session day is counted only whenever the plenary is convened and then subsequently "adjourned"; if plenary is convened and then merely "suspended", the session day continues on to the following day.

This means that by Velasco's count, the plenary had been adjourned only thrice since Dec. 2.

Velasco had cited in recent weeks the filing of multiple impeachment complaints against Vice President Duterte as reason for the delay in the submission of impeachment raps to the Speaker's office. After all, it makes sense to transmit all complaints in one go, he said.

A rumored fourth impeachment complaint against the Vice President is set to be filed Monday, Jan. 6.

A group composed of civil society figureheads led by former senator Lima filed the first impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte on Dec. 2. It was endorsed by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña. 

Just two days later, on Dec. 4, a second impeachment complaint was filed agaisnt the lady official, this time by members of progressive groups. This was endorsed by Makabayan bloc members ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel. 

A group mostly composed of priests and lawyers then trooped to the House of Representatives to file third complaint on Dec. 19. Camarines Sur 3rd district Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. and AAMBIS-OWA Party-list Rep. Lex Anthony Cris Colada endorsed the latest impeachment rap.

Castro, a deputy minority leader, recently urged the House leadership to act on the filed impeachment complaints.