Romualdez sa inihain nilang mosyon sa SC: 'This is not an act of defiance. It is an act of duty'
Sa ulat ni Tina Panganiban-Perez sa GMA News Saksi nitong Lunes, sinabing ang Office of Solicitor General ang tumatayong abogado ng Kamara sa kanilang inihaing apela sa SC, ilang araw bago ang itinakdang deadline sa Agosto 9.
'This is not an act of defiance. It is an act of duty,' ani Romualdez. 'We do not challenge the authority of the Court. We seek only to preserve the rightful role of the House – the voice of the people – in the process of accountability.'
Kasabay ng paggiit na malinaw umano sa Konstitusyon na ang Kamara ang may ekslusibong karapatan sa pag-initiate ng impeachment, sinabi ni Romualdez na sinunod nila ang Konstitusyon at ang mga nagdaang desisyon ng SC sa ginawang pag-impeach ng mga kongresista kay Duterte.
Sa kanilang apela sa SC, iginiit ni Romualdez na isang impeachment complaint lang "initiated" kay Duterte, at hindi apat, gaya ng nakasaad sa desisyon ng SC.
Paliwanag ng Speaker, inilagay lang sa archive ang tatlong naunang impeachment complaint nang maipadala na sa Senado ang ika-apat na complaint na pirmado ng 215 na kongresista.
'On February 5, 2025, the House transmitted the fourth impeachment complaint filed and signed by 215 Members to the Senate. Only after this transmittal did we archive the earlier three complaints. That sequence matters. It proves there was only one valid initiation, not four,' ayon kay Romualdez.
Iginiit din ng lider ng Kamara na walang nakasaad sa Konstitusyon na kailangang pasagutin muna si Duterte kaugnay ng mga akusasyon laban sa kaniya bago ipadala sa Senado ang articles of impeachment.
Ang paliwanag at sagot umano ni Duterte laban sa mga akusasyon ay dapat mangyari sa paglilitis na ng Senado bilang impeachment court--gaya ng ginawa sa ibang na-impeach na opisyal.
Sinabi pa ni Romualdez na ang pagkakaroon ng mga bagong patakaran na nakasaad sa desisyon ng SC na biglang ipatutupad ay hindi lang umano "unfair" kung hindi "constitutionally suspect" din.
Kabilang din kasi ang mga mahistrado ng SC sa mga impeachable officials na maaari umanong makinabang sa mga ipapataw nilang bagong kondisyon o patakaran.
'When the Court lays down rules for how it, or others like it, may be impeached, it puts itself in the dangerous position of writing conditions that may shield itself from future accountability,' ayon kay Romualdez. 'That is not how checks and balances work.' -- FRJ GMA Integrated News
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