Former speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez was given 10 days to respond to the complaint filed against him.
According to Ako Bicol party list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon, who is also the vice chair of the Committe on Ethics and Privileges, Alvarez has committed three offenses.
The first is a breach of the House of Representatives' Code of Conduct, the second, improper behavior, as well as defiance of the Revised Penal Code's provisions against libel and sedition.
The complaint was prompted by Alvarez's "seditious" remarks during a rally held by staunch Duterte supporters on April 14 at Tagum City, and filed by its mayor Ray Uy. Alvarez had encouraged the military and police to withdraw its support for President Marcos.
“The allegations are very serious. [Alvarez’s] remarks were dangerous, libelous and seditious, both in appearances and statements,” Bongalon said.
Alvarez's office had already received a copy of the complaint via registered mail and an email to his official email address and his Chief of Staff's.
The panel on May 2 elected that a committee hearing would be held "after a lapse of 10 days."
Bungalon clarified that the investigation underway was related to Alvarez's coarse attitude and had nothing to do with politics, Angelo Palmones reported in DZRH News' Magandang Umaga Pilipinas.