Rep. Paolo Duterte dismayed at House rejection of fresh PBBM impeachment complaint
By Ivy Tejano
DUTERTE (Alvin and Tourism FB)
Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte criticized the House of Representatives for refusing to accept the third impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In a statement in his official Facebook page on Friday, Jan. 23, Duterte described the House's move as a violation of the Constitution and an insult to the Filipino people.
Duterte said the House leadership’s justification that the Office of the Secretary General could not receive the complaint because she was out of the country was unacceptable and contrary to established practice.
He said that official complaints may be received by authorized personnel within the Office of the Secretary General and that these procedures have been followed in the past.
Duterte said that the refusal to accept the complaint was not a procedural issue but a deliberate attempt to block a case that he described as solid, well-documented, and supported by substantial evidence.
He said the House leadership was acting to protect the President rather than fulfill their constitutional duty.
Duterte said impeachment is a constitutional obligation of the House of Representatives, not a privilege lawmakers may choose to exercise selectively.
“This is no longer about procedure. This is about cowardice and political protection,” Duterte said, adding that complaints are acted upon swiftly when they are favorable but are suddenly delayed or rejected when they are deemed politically dangerous.
Duterte expressed alarm over the second rejection by the House of an impeachment complaint. Duterte said a complaint filed by the Duterte Youth party-list was also dismissed last year.
He said such incidents were unprecedented and undermined the constitutional right of any citizen or member of Congress to file an impeachment complaint.
The lawmaker warned that blocking a legitimate complaint on what he called “flimsy excuses” would only erode public trust and fuel suspicions that the House leadership has something to hide.
“The House should stop insulting the intelligence of the people, stand up, do its job, and respect the Constitution,” Duterte said.