MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang has called on pro-impeachment lawmakers to “acknowledge the democratic and practical realities of the impeachment process” instead of appealing the case before the Supreme Court, dismissing their move as a propaganda ploy to "agitate" the public.

"It would be more appropriate and graceful for the complainants to acknowledge the democratic and practical realities of the impeachment process rather than insisting on involving the judiciary in what can only be seen as an effort to extend the propaganda value of the moribund impeachment complaint and further agitate the public," Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio said Thursday.

Voting 42-8, the pro-administration majority in the House of Representatives’ committee on justice junked the latest impeachment complaint against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Wednesday.

Claudio doubted that the planned appeal of Arroyo's opponents of the committee vote would prosper in the high court.

"The current impeachment complaint has gone the same route as the previous cases and never did the judiciary intervene with a process that exclusively belongs to a co-equal branch of government," Claudio said in a statement.

Claudio said the pro-impeachment lawmakers were given "ample time" to argue their case, but the charges were found to be "bereft of substance and merit" by the "overwhelming majority."