The House of Representatives has breached its own rules by stalling the progress of three impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, with Speaker Martin Romualdez’s influence cited as a major factor in the delay, a political analyst said Sunday.

The three petitions, filed in December, remain pending despite the House being dominated by Duterte’s critics. More than a month later, none of the complaints have been transmitted to Romualdez’s office, significantly narrowing their chances of reaching the Senate for trial.

Lawyer Michael Henry Yusingco, an independent policy analyst and constitutional expert, pointed out that House Secretary General Reginald Velasco has “no authority” to delay the transmittal of the complaints, stressing that the same rules apply to Romualdez.

“There is indeed a non-compliance with the very rules of the House regarding impeachment. According to their rules, the moment the Secretary General receives an impeachment complaint, it must be sent to the office of the Speaker immediately. The Speaker then has 10 days to schedule this in the order of business,” Yusingco said in a radio interview, mixing Filipino and English.

He emphasized, “[These] rules are clearly not being followed because, right now, there are three impeachment complaints still pending in the Secretary General’s office, which should not be the case — unless he found the petition unverified.”

Velasco, however, previously confirmed that all three complaints are verified and ready for transmittal to Romualdez’s office “anytime.” He cited the possibility of a fourth petition being filed, which could justify consolidating the complaints into one.

The rumored fourth petition is expected to come from lawmakers within the majority bloc, who reportedly aim to secure the required one-third of votes to swiftly elevate the complaints to the Senate. Meanwhile, the first three complaints were all endorsed by opposition lawmakers.

Political pressure

Yusingco claimed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s public discouragement of House members from supporting the impeachment efforts against Duterte has influenced lawmakers, who are reluctant to challenge the President.

“While the President’s statement undermined the principle of separation of powers, it left a strong impression on lawmakers who would not want to bypass him,” Yusingco explained.

He added that Speaker Romualdez, a cousin of Marcos, plays a significant role in the stalemate.

“Of course, this dovetails with the fact that the Speaker of the House and the President are cousins, and they are very close. Perhaps the Speaker, even though the subject of the impeachment is his [political] enemy, is having second thoughts about opposing his cousin’s position,” Yusingco said.

“The critical factor here is the Speaker, who will determine the fate of this impeachment. If he supports it, then it will proceed. If the Speaker doesn’t want it, it will not move forward,” he added.

2028 derby

Yusingco noted that impeachment is not just a constitutional process but also a political one. He suggested that many lawmakers are hesitant to openly endorse the impeachment for fear of potential political retaliation if Duterte becomes the next president.

Both Duterte and Romualdez are seen as frontrunners for the 2028 presidential elections. While Duterte has not yet announced her intentions, she has expressed “serious consideration” of running in the national polls and consistently leads surveys as a preferred successor to Marcos.

Romualdez, on the other hand, has publicly stated that he has no ambition to run for the presidency and plans to retire from politics.

Time constraints

Yusingco asserted that despite a Social Weather Stations survey showing that 41 percent of Filipinos support Duterte’s impeachment, lawmakers are unlikely to be swayed, as their primary objective appears to be preventing Duterte from running in 2028 rather than holding her criminally liable for alleged plunder.

“If their goal is to hold her criminally liable, then the most viable option is to go directly to the Ombudsman and file a plunder [complaint],” he argued.

If convicted by the Senate following impeachment in the House, Duterte would face perpetual disqualification from holding any public office.

The Makabayan bloc, endorsers of the second impeachment petition, has criticized Velasco for delaying the transmittal of the complaints to Romualdez, noting the time-sensitive nature of the proceedings.

Congress is set to adjourn for the mid-term election campaign season on 7 February, leaving only six session days before lawmakers go on break. Sessions will resume on 2 June, after the 12 May elections, with the 19th Congress adjourning on 13 June.

Allegations and response

The impeachment complaints accuse Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust.

These charges stem from findings by the House committee on good government and public accountability, which investigated alleged irregularities in Duterte’s use of P612.5 million in confidential funds — P500 million for the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million for the Department of Education during her tenure as its head.

While Duterte has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, she has welcomed the impeachment process as an opportunity to “exclusively” address the corruption allegations.