Not much to do with impeachment raps vs Marcos, session in break

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. Inquirer file photo

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte — There is not much that can be done regarding the impeachment complaint a group intends to file against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as Congress is currently not in session, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Thursday.

Romualdez in an ambush interview here after the Unity Rally hosted by Lakas-CMD and Tingog party-list said that even the Office of the Secretary General is currently on a seminar — which means they cannot receive any complaints as of now.

“Well, wala pa tayo, we’re not in session right now.  So, not much can be done, di ba? At sa (pagka-)alam ko po, mas que ‘yong SecGen’s office naka-seminar sila, so we have to wait for the proper time to consider it,” Romualdez told reporters outside the Tacloban Coliseum.

(Well, we are not in session right now.  So, not much can be done, right?  And based on what I know, even the SecGen’s office is attending a seminar, so we have to wait for the proper time to consider it.)

Earlier, two personalities aligned with the Duterte Youth party-list — former lawmaker Marie Cardema and ex-National Youth Commission chairperson Ronald Cardema — posed in a photo holding the front page of a “verified impeachment complaint” against Marcos.

This was for alleged betrayal of public trust, for allowing the arrest of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte.

Initially, it was unclear if the supposedly verified complaint has reached the office of House Secretary General Reginald Velasco as the session is currently adjourned.  Eventually, the Duterte Youth party-list said that they have not formally submitted the complaint since Velasco was not personally there to receive it.

READ: Duterte allies to file impeachment complaint vs Marcos

According to Romualdez, he does not understand what inspired the complainants to file the petition now.

“Well, that’s, I really don’t know.  I don’t know what inspired them. But hayaan mo na lang sila (But don’t mind them),” the Speaker said.

Earlier, Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre also questioned the timing of the complaint, asking why this petition was filed days before the elections.

Acidre, who was also present at the Unity Rally here, said that while he has not yet read the contents of the complaint, he is perplexed why Marcos was affected by mudslinging when he is not a candidate in the 2025 midterm polls.

“Hindi ko pa rin nababasa ‘yung impeachment pero kaduda-duda na ito ay ipa-file apat na araw bago ang eleksyon,” Acidre said.

(I haven’t read the impeachment complaint but the timing of the filing — days before an election — is doubtful.)

“Sana ho ang ating mga kababayan ay tingnan hindi po kandidato ang ating presidente at bakit kailangan po itong gawin sa kanya?” Acidre added.

(I hope our people look at why our president, who is not a candidate, is being attacked?)

According to Acidre, he is unsure if the impeachment complaints will be processed within the remaining session days of the 19th Congress.

Congress will resume session by June 2, but will adjourn by June 13 — which means that there will only be a maximum of nine session days remaining, as June 12 is a holiday.

Under the House rules and the 1987 Constitution, an impeachment complaint will only be considered verified if endorsed by a sitting lawmaker.  The same requirement was asked of the complaints filed against Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, last December 2024.

Previously, Velasco said that they will have to see first if any complaint filed against an impeachable officer was properly endorsed by a House member, and if it is a legitimate complaint.

According to Velasco, he and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez have 10 session days to act on an impeachment complaint, before it is forwarded to the House committee on rules, which will then refer it to the committee on justice during a plenary session.

The older Duterte was detained by local authorities after he arrived back at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 last March 11, to help the International Criminal Police Organization in enforcing an arrest order from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC arrest order was issued due to the crimes against humanity raps filed against Duterte, for his role in the bloody drug war.

READ: Rodrigo Duterte now under police custody 

After questioning the arrest, Duterte eventually boarded a chartered plane from Villamor Air Base, which left Manila for the Netherlands — where the ICC is based — a few minutes after 11:00  p.m. on March 11. /jpv