MANILA, Philippines – House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday, February 6, said he was “joining the call” for lawmakers to endorse an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

“Pareho kami nananawagan (We are both calling on the lawmakers),” said Alvarez in a chance interview, when asked about former legislator Jacinto Paras, who earlier filed an impeachment complaint against Morales.

Paras has claimed that Morales, a former Supreme Court (SC) associate justice, is behind moves to oust President Rodrigo Duterte. He has since been appointed labor undersecretary.

Alvarez explained that although he supports the complaint, he does not want to endorse it to avoid allegations of bias and intervention in House duties.

To date, the impeachment complaint does not have the endorsement of any lawmaker, a requirement for it to be valid.

But asked why he was supporting the impeachment complaint, despite Morales’ pending retirement in July this year, Alvarez shrugged and said: “Kaya nga, tinatanong ko rin sa sarili ko ‘yun. Pareho tayo (I’m also asking myself the same question. We’re asking the same question).”

An impeachment complaint typically takes several months to process, just on the level of the House committee on justice.

The committee first has to determine if the complaint is sufficient in form, substance, grounds, and probable cause before it reaches the House plenary, where lawmakers can vote to impeach an official or junk the complaint. (READ: FAST FACTS: How does impeachment work?) – Rappler.com