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Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
January 25, 2026 | 12:00am
Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
Photo from Adiong’s Facebook page.
MANILA, Philippines — Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong yesterday defended the decision of the Office of the Secretary General not to receive an impeachment complaint in the absence of secretary general Cheloy Garafil, stressing that the action is required by House rules and long-standing parliamentary practice.
“The receipt of an impeachment complaint is not a casual or clerical transaction. It is a formal constitutional act that must strictly comply with House rules. It cannot be improvised, delegated casually or reduced to a mere drop-off,” Adiong said in a statement.
Under the rules of the House of Representatives, he said impeachment complaints must be formally filed with and received by the secretary general, who serves as the official custodian of House records and certifications.
“The secretary general is required, upon receipt, to determine whether the complaint is complete and whether it complies with constitutional and rules-based requirements on form, including verification, endorsements and accompanying documents,” Adiong said.
He further explained that the consequences of official receipt are significant.
“Once the complaint is officially received, she has to refer it to the Speaker and it has direct bearing to its effect on the one-year ban. For this reason, strict compliance with the rules is indispensable,” Adiong said.
He stressed that in the absence of the secretary general – or a duly authorized acting official – her office cannot validly accept an impeachment complaint, as doing so would raise serious questions regarding the integrity, completeness and official acknowledgment of the filing.
Adiong said that the secretary general’s absence is due to an official, pre-scheduled overseas engagement that is fully documented and publicly known.
“Moreover, the House is presently on a legislative recess, that is why we cannot expect that the people in the House are complete every day and many of them have important official duties that they are attending to,” Adiong said.
“There is no refusal to receive any complaint,” he added.
The House leader underscored that rules on filing exist precisely to protect the integrity of the impeachment process.
