Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Egay Erice on Saturday raised the alarm over what he described as a "blow to the constitution" following reports that the House of Representatives Office of the Secretary-General (OSG) refused to accept the second impeachment complaint filed against President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

Speaking on DZRH’s Special on Saturday (SOS), Erice characterized the refusal as a deliberate obstruction of a sacred constitutional process, suggesting that the move was designed to favor "weak" complaints and trigger the one-year ban on new impeachment proceedings.

'A Ministerial Duty'

Erice emphasized that the Office of the Secretary-General has no discretionary power to screen or reject filings. He argued that the role is strictly ministerial, meaning the office is legally obligated to receive any complaint and provide a timestamp.

"Ang tungkulin ng Office of the Secretary-General na tumanggap ng impeachment complaint ay ministerial. Walang discretion, walang screening, walang ayaw namin na tumanggap. Dapat tanggapin mo, period. Ang pagtanggi ay hindi simpleng delay. Ito ay obstruction of a constitutional process," Erice said.

The lawmaker criticized the excuse allegedly provided by the office—that Secretary-General Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil was abroad—as a flimsy justification for freezing a constitutional mandate.

"Hindi pwedeng tumigil ang proseso ng konstitusyon dahil may biyahe ang isang opisyal. Hindi pwedeng ma-freeze ang impeachment dahil wala si Secretary-General Garafil," Erice emphasized.

"Constitutional Sabotage"

The urgency of the filing revolves around the "One-Year Bar Rule," which dictates that once an impeachment complaint is referred to the Committee on Justice, no other initiation of impeachment can be made against the same official for one year.

Erice expressed concern that by refusing the more "prepared" complaints from groups like the Makabayan Bloc and pro-Duterte organizations, the House might only process a "weak" 15-page complaint that he likened to "garbage."

“Magiging implication, yung unang reklamo mahina, 15 pages, minadali para lang may file. At nakita ko nga yung nabasa ko yung impeachment, parang basura lang,” Erice said.

"Sa tingin ko, kung hindi mo tatanggapin o mga pinag-aralan at ang tatanggapin lang yung basura, eh ano yan? Constitutional sabotage," the congressman added.

Erice further noted that while the "weak" complaint appeared rushed, the later filings were accompanied by substantial evidence, including "a suitcase full" of documents.

Potential Legal Repercussions

According to Erice, the refusal to accept the complaints constitutes a grave abuse of discretion and could be elevated to the Supreme Court. He also listed potential liabilities for the officials involved, including:

• Administrative Liability: Gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

• Criminal Implications: Possible charges if it is proven that the refusal was a premeditated act to hinder public accountability.

• Ethical Violations: Breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.

Erice clarified that he is not claiming the President is guilty, but emphasized that the complaints were well-prepared and merit an intelligent discussion, not neglect.