THE House of Representatives on Monday filed a Motion for Reconsideration before the Supreme Court (SC), urging it to reverse its ruling that nullified the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the motion seeks to defend the constitutional mandate of the House to initiate impeachment proceedings, clarifying that the move is not meant to challenge the Court’s authority but to uphold institutional checks and balances.
“This is not an act of defiance. It is an act of duty,” Romualdez said in a statement, stressing that the House followed due process when it transmitted the impeachment complaint endorsed by 215 members on February 5.
He argued that the Supreme Court’s ruling misread facts and imposed retroactive procedural standards, undermining the exclusive power granted to the House under the Constitution.
Romualdez also clarified that only one valid initiation occurred, pointing to the sequence of filings and the archiving of previous complaints.
Addressing due process concerns raised by the Court, Romualdez maintained that the Constitution does not require furnishing the respondent with a copy before transmission, noting that impeachment trials and responses occur in the Senate.
The House, through the Office of the Solicitor General, filed the 70-page petition, asking the SC to allow Congress to carry out its constitutional role—initiating and trying impeachment cases. It also urged the Court to reconsider its July 25 ruling and dismiss the petitions against the impeachment process.
Romualdez warned that allowing the Court to define the parameters of its own accountability sets a dangerous precedent. “We filed this motion not to provoke, but to protect the democratic process,” he said.
