Cardema Couple Fails to File Impeachment Complaint
Former National Youth Commission chair Ronald Cardema and his wife, Marie, did not succeed in filing an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday. The complaint concerned the March 11 arrest and detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte in the Netherlands.
According to the Cardemas, the Office of the House Secretary General, led by Reginald Velasco, refused to accept their verified impeachment complaint. This was despite the endorsement from Duterte Youth party-list Representative Ducielle Cardema, Ronald’s sister.
Dispute Over Filing Process
The couple stated that as of 5 p.m., the Office of the Secretary-General had not accepted their complaint. They argued that the complaint should be filed with the office and not necessarily by the Secretary General personally. They cited the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings, which mandates that a verified complaint endorsed by a House member be filed with the Office of the Secretary-General.
They further claimed it is a “ministerial duty” for the office to receive such complaints.
Reason Behind the Impeachment Complaint
Ronald Cardema explained in a separate interview that the complaint was filed because former President Duterte was surrendered to foreign authorities. Duterte was arrested on March 11 after arriving from Hong Kong, based on an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
“The Articles of Impeachment focus on culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust. Handing over a Filipino citizen to foreigners surrenders our sovereignty,” Cardema said. He emphasized that under the Constitution, sovereignty belongs to the Filipino people.
Legal Context and ICC Cooperation
Republic Act 9851 allows the Philippine government to defer investigations on alleged crimes against humanity to an international court already conducting inquiries. Additionally, a July 2021 Supreme Court ruling requires the Philippines to cooperate with ICC proceedings if the alleged crimes occurred while the country was a signatory.
Notably, the Philippines, under Duterte’s presidency, withdrew from the Rome Statute—which established the ICC—on March 14, 2018, with the withdrawal taking effect a year later.
Samantala, the debate on sovereignty and international accountability continues to stir public discussion.
