Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso's remarks about the House of Representatives' impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte aren't suited for intelligent discussion.

This was San Juan City lone district Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora's retort to Olaso after the latter made some unsavory statements about the House Committee on Justice's ongoing hearings on the matter.

Zamora, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP) and a justice committee vice chairman, issued the statement after Olaso posted a Facebook video calling the impeachment “kalokohan” or nonsense.

“With due respect to my former colleague, I don’t think words such as ‘kalokohan (nonsense)’ and ‘bugok lang ang gumagawa (only degenerates do that)’ are necessary in any intelligent discourse,” she said.

“The House of Representatives, or its Committee on Justice, cannot shirk away from its constitutionally mandated task of hearing the impeachment complaints,” Zamora noted.

A total of four impeachment complaints were filed against Vice President Sara Duterte as of Feb. 18. These were initiated by the House on Feb. 23.

There are still two active complaints, and these are being heard by the justice panel for the determination of probable cause.

“May nagsampa ng complaints kaya kailangan ipagpatuloy ang proseso (Somebody filed complaints, so the process must continue). We would be remiss in our duties as public officials if we didn’t do what the Constitution told us to do,” the San Juan lawmaker explained.

The House plenary has authorized the committee to continue hearings even during the Summer recess from March 21 to May 3.

Zamora has rejected Olaso’s sweeping claims that lawmakers are failing to do their jobs, calling them unfair.

“It is unfair to insinuate that everyone is not doing their job or not working. Again, this is part of our job as Congressmen. Mayor Olaso should know that because he was a congressman himself,” she said.

She pointed out that the House continues to legislate and deliver measures aimed at easing the burden on Filipinos even as it conducts impeachment proceedings.

“Further, I don’t think that the House of Representatives has not doing its duties as we are continuously hearing discussions regarding bills and passing bills which are necessary to uplift the lives of Filipinos,” Zamora said.

“Legislation is the primary job of Congressmen and if people would care to see, we are in fact doing that,” she added.

Olaso served as Zamboanga City 1st district representative during the previous 19th Congress.