Latest news with #HOR
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
VP Sara asks SC to dismiss House appeal on impeachment complaint
Vice President Sara Duterte has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to dismiss the House of Representatives' (HOR) appeal on its ruling that declared the impeachment complaint against her unconstitutional. In her comment, Duterte said the House's arguments were 'mere diversions obsessed with trivia and blind to the decision's genuine core reasoning.' 'This fixation on peripheral details downplays the legitimate issue in this case, namely, that the HOR committed grave abuse of discretion and deliberately did away with constitutionally imposed limitations to its power to impeach,' the comment said. Three impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte in December 2024, all of which were connected to the alleged misuse of confidential funds. It was the fourth impeachment complaint that was endorsed by over one-third of lawmakers from the House of Representatives and was later transmitted to the Senate as the Articles of Impeachment. In its July 25, 2025 ruling, the SC said the first three complaints were deemed terminated or dismissed when the House endorsed the fourth complaint. It ruled that the one-year ban on multiple impeachment proceedings is reckoned from the time a complaint is dismissed or is no longer viable. As a result, the SC said the Senate did not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings. The House filed the motion for reconsideration a day before the Senate archived the impeachment complaint in light of the SC ruling. The House argued that the archiving of the first three complaints was done after the transmittal of the fourth complaint, thus not initiating the one-year ban. Duterte said that while this is true, it is misleading to suggest that the court based its ruling on a misapprehension of the sequence. Aside from this, she said that the SC did not err when it said that the fourth impeachment complaint was transmitted to the Senate without a plenary vote. 'A perusal of its own Rules on Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings betrays the HOR's assertions. A plain reading of Rule II, Section 2 thereof, reveals that even the second mode of impeachment requires a subsequent referral to the Committee on Justice,' she said. Duterte said that it was 'more absurd' for the House to claim that the first three impeachment complaints were not dismissed even after the transmittal of the fourth complaint, as the House still had numerous session days ahead. 'This contention collapses under the weight of its own logic and the HOR's own record. The archival of the first 3 prior impeachment complaints on February 5, 2025, after it had already decided to push forward with its preferred fourth impeachment complaint, was a deliberate act of disposition by the HOR itself,' she said. 'Whether the adjournment of that session was temporal or sine die is immaterial. The fact remains that the respondent HOR, by its own doing, formally set those complaints aside.'' The vice president said the arguments presented by the House have all been thoroughly considered and resolved by the high court. Duterte also said that the argument of the House that a new ruling on impeachment cases should be applied prospectively is wrong. "Jurisprudence dictates that prospectivity shields those outside the case from what might be unfair consequences for them. It does not grant blanket amnesty to the parties whose conduct is precisely found to be constitutionally void, as in this case," she said. "To permit respondent HOR to claim shelter under the prospectivity application of doctrine is to condone, rather than correct, their grave abuse of the impeachment process." –VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
18-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec: Yedda Romualdez to serve as Tingog partylist rep after 3rd nominee exit
Yedda Romualdez, wife of Speaker Martin Romualdez, will replace third nominee Marie Josephine Calatrava, who resigned from Tingog citing 'personal circumstances'. Former Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez will return to the House of Representatives (HOR) in the 20th Congress as she is set to take the third seat of Tingog Partylist following the exit of three of its nominees, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday. Romualdez, wife of Speaker Martin Romualdez, will replace third nominee Marie Josephine Calatrava, who resigned from Tingog citing 'personal circumstances'. Fourth nominee Alexis Yu and fifth nominee Paul Muncada likewise resigned as nominees following their election as party executive vice-president, and vice-president for internal affairs, respectively. According to Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, the substitution is allowed under the Party-list System Act as Yedda is included in the list of nominees the party submitted to the poll body. 'Halimbawa, nag-resign si 1, papalit si number 2. Namatay si number 3, papalit si number 4. So long as di pa nauubos ang sinubmit satin,' he said. (If the first nominee resigned, the second will replace him. If the third nominee dies, the fourth nominee will replace him. As long as the replacing nominee is included in the names they submitted to us.) Tingog Partylist ranked third in Eleksyon 2025, securing three seats for the incoming 20th Congress. Yeddah is its sixth nominee while her son, Andrew Julian Romualdez, was named first nominee. 'Dapat si number 6 ang ipapalit and we have no discretion on that. Ito ay duly-submitted ng naturang partylist at duly-published by the commission,' said Garcia. (The sixth nominee will replace the third and we have no discretion on that. She is part of the duly-submitted names of the partylist.) 'Walang natanggap na disqualification or opposition or petition for disqualification sa sampu na yan therefore, intact ang listahan. Kahit hindi kami mag-issue ng certificate of proclamation, pwede na tanggapin ng HOR sapagkat na-proclaim na ang naturang party-list,' he added. (We did not receive any disqualification or opposition or petition for disqualification on the ten names and therefore, the list is intact. The HOR can proclaim her even without or certification as the partylist was already proclaimed.) — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
08-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PNP to deploy 12,000 cops for Marcos' 4th SONA
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said around 12,000 personnel will be deployed to secure the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on July 28. PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajarda made the statement during a press briefing right after a command conference led by PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre III. 'Mga more or less 12,000 ang ide-deploy po for SONA. Kasama po dyan yung made-deploy within the vicinity of the House of Representatives (HOR),' Fajardo said. (More or less 12,000 will be deployed for SONA. That includes those deployed within the vicinity of the House of Representatives (HOR).) 'Tomorrow, magkakaroon ng (we will have a) coordinating conference together with the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms ng HOR to iron out some of the security protocols that will be observed within and outside of the HOR,' she added. Fajardo said Torre directed PNP personnel to conduct an "honest-to-goodness" threat assessment for the event that will be held at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City. "If there is a need to adjust po yung mga nakasanayan na nating security template at magbibigay po sila ng updated threat estimates as to including po yung possible number ng magko-conduct po ng activities particularly yung mga rallies both for pro- and anti- (administration),' Fajardo said. (If there is a need to adjust our usual security templates, they will provide updated threat estimates including the possible number of people who will conduct activities, particularly rallies, both for pro and anti-administration.) According to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro, Marcos is already preparing for his fourth SONA. He is set to provide a better report on his projects and accomplishments, Castro said. Asked earlier if the police organization will make adjustments to its preparations considering that there is an ongoing impeachment issue of Vice President Sara Duterte, Torre said it depends on the estimate from the intelligence they receive. The Vice President will not be attending Marcos' fourth SONA, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco earlier said. Velasco said more than 200 guests have confirmed their attendance to the event. — RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
House remains united amid calls for new leadership, says spox
The House of Representatives remains united under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez amid the call of Deputy Speaker and Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco 'Duke' Frasco for a new leadership. In a press conference, House spokesperson Princess Abante said they respect Frasco's statement, adding that it proves that no one is forcing anyone in the Lower Chamber. 'Iu-underline ko din na there are now at least 280 members of the HOR that showed their support for the continued leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez. When we talk of unity, nakita naman natin 'yung epekto ng united na members of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez doon sa accomplishments na nakita natin ngayon sa Kongreso,' she said. (There are now at least 280 members of the HOR that showed their support for the continued leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez. When we talk of unity, we can see the effect of the united members of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez in the accomplishments of the Congress.) Frasco was expelled from the National Unity Party for refusing to support Romualdez in the 20th Congress. He said the House is in need of a leadership 'that unites rather than divides.' Abante said it is clear that Romualdez was able to steer the House in the right direction. 'Most productive' "For the 19th Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, I am happy to report that the House of Representatives is now one of the most productive Congress in history," said Abante. She said 11,506 bills and 2,361 resolutions were filed in the House during the 19th Congress. Of the number, 347 resolutions were adopted while 1,493 measures were approved on third and final reading, of which 280 were signed into law. 'Unfortunately, 739 are still pending before the Senate for their approval on 3rd reading. These are not ordinary bills. They are urgent reforms sought by sectors across the country, and they are solutions to the most pressing challenges faced by Filipino families, workers, students, seniors, and OFWs. These are key life-changing bills the Senate has yet to act on,' she said. Abante said the House is ready to prepare and ratify all pending measures at the bicameral conference committee. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/AOL, GMA Integrated News
