A Mindanao lawmaker on Thursday said the impeachment complaint filed against Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is being handled in accordance with the Constitution and long-standing rules of the House of Representatives.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong clarified that once an impeachment complaint is filed, the House is duty-bound to act on it through established procedures, including referral to the Committee on Justice to determine its sufficiency in form and substance.

The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats stalwart said the process is rooted in constitutional mandates designed to ensure due process and institutional stability.

“Referral to the Committee on Justice is a standard and substantive step in the impeachment process,” Adiong said. “It initiates formal review and does not pre-judge any outcome.”

Adiong added that constitutional provisions governing the filing and consideration of impeachment complaints apply uniformly, regardless of the personalities involved.

He also addressed questions surrounding the absence of House Secretary General Atty. Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, MNSA, noting that she is currently on a pre-scheduled official engagement abroad and that her temporary absence does not affect the constitutional handling of impeachment matters.

The lawmaker stressed that impeachment remains a serious constitutional mechanism, assuring the public that the House will continue to perform its duties in an orderly, rules-based, and transparent manner.