House Speaker Martin Romualdez has criticized the Senate for its swift decision to archive the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
This came after 19 senators voted in favor of Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s motion to archive the complaint, with only 4 voting against and 1 abstaining.
Romualdez questioned the Senate’s urgency in shelving the proceedings:
“Why the rush?” he asked. “The Court found our arguments serious enough to require the respondents, including the Vice President, to submit their comment. The case is active.”
The Speaker also pointed out that the Supreme Court seemed to recognize the merit of the House’s Motion for Reconsideration, which challenged its earlier ruling declaring the Articles of Impeachment unconstitutional.
Romualdez reminded the public that under the Constitution, only the House of Representatives has the authority to initiate an impeachment complaint. The Senate, he said, is duty-bound to hear the case once the Articles are transmitted.
“We exercised that power lawfully, transparently, and in good faith—not out of spite, but out of duty. Not to attack, but to ask for answers—answers the Vice President never gave,” he stressed.
He added that the impeachment complaint is not rooted in politics, but in a call for truth and accountability.
“This was never about political maneuvering. It was about accountability—pananagutan—anchored on verified facts and sworn documents,” Romualdez said.