Former National Youth Commission Chairman Ronald Cardema made a move on Thursday (May 8) to file the first impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. but the House of Representatives has refused to accept it.

“As of 5 pm, the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives has not yet accepted the Verified Impeachment Complaint of Ronald Cardema and Marie Cardema, stating that it should be the Sec. Gen. himself,” said a statement released to the Lower House media by the Duterte Youth Partylist, an organization founded by former Chairman Cardema.

“Again according to the Rules of Procedure in impeachment Proceedings, Rule 2, Section 3 states “A verified complaint for impeachment by a member of the House or by any citizen upon a resolution of endorsement by any Member thereof shall be filed with the Office of the Secretary General,” the complainants noted.

They stressed: “It does not state that it should be the Head of Office himself. It is ministerial duty for any government office to receive documents.”

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco was not in his office when the impeachment documents were presented to his office.

The complaint accused Marcos of unlawfully allowing the transfer of a Filipino citizen to foreigners, citing the case of former President Rodrigo Duterte, according to a Facebook post of the Cardemas.

The former NYC official said he might try to file the complaint against next week, after the May 12 elections since the House of Representatives is closed on Fridays.

Copies of the complaint have not been distributed to the media, although it is believed that it was endorsed by Duterte Youth Rep. Drixie Mae Cardema.

The complainants have until the end of June to file the case although there is doubt it will be calendared for referral to the Committee on Justice.

Congress session resumes on June 3 but will adjourn sine die on June 14.