MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang dismissed the walkout of opposition lawmakers from a congressional committee hearing on an impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday as "immature tantrums."

At the same time, presidential deputy spokesman Anthony Golez urged the pro-impeachment lawmakers to allow their anti-impeachment colleagues to raise arguments against the impeachment, since they too were given the chance to defend their stand on Monday.

"What we saw a while ago are some premature, immature tantrums. They walked out after they did not like what they heard. The nation just saw that when they are the ones talking, everyone should listen, but when the other side is talking, they don't want to listen," Golez told a news conference at the Palace.

"We are just hoping that both sides of the coin will be heard, will be respected, and will be argued about because that is how the process of impeachment goes. The process must be respected," he said.