Philippine House begins impeachment proceedings versus President Marcos

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

THE Philippine House of Representatives on Monday began impeachment proceedings against President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., referring two complaints to its Justice committee for review.

The move comes amid widespread allegations of graft tied to flood control projects and reflects growing opposition efforts to hold the President accountable.

The House body will determine whether the allegations meet the threshold to elevate the case to the Senate, which sits as an impeachment court.

Sending the complaints to the committee also blocks other groups from filing separate charges and prevents the President from facing another impeachment bid within the same calendar year.

Opposition activists filed a second complaint on Monday to strengthen the impeachment case, citing concerns that an initial filing last week was insufficient and could be dismissed by lawmakers.

“There are arguments in the second impeachment complaint that are not included in the first one,” Party-list Rep. Renee Louise M. Co told reporters after the filing. “The supporting evidence here is not seen in the first impeachment complaint.”

“It is very important, extremely important, that the second impeachment complaint be considered,” she added.

Both complaints allege that Mr. Marcos betrayed public trust by facilitating large-scale corruption through the allocation of infrastructure funds to congressional districts, leaving citizens with substandard or incomplete projects.

Activists claim that the President’s inner circle and allies received billions of pesos in kickbacks while critical flood control initiatives underfunded communities at risk from seasonal flooding.

The second complaint, a 37-page document, links Mr. Marcos to the scheme, citing testimony from a former Public Works department official who claimed the President had received P8 billion in kickbacks.

The first complaint, which cited five grounds for removal — including three directly related to the flood control scandal — has been criticized as weak and potentially dismissible.

Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III earlier said the first complaint lacked merit and that the President acted within the law.

Analysts, however, said the House’s handling of the proceedings might be more strategic than impartial.

“They need to at least appear as though they are acting in good faith and doing the right thing,” said Arjan P. Aguirre, an associate political science professor at the Ateneo de Manila University. “We should not expect them to campaign or actively mobilize votes in its favor.”

Under the 1987 Constitution, high officials may be impeached for culpable violations of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes or betrayal of public trust.

A complaint requires endorsement from at least one-third of congressmen before it can proceed to the Senate.

Meanwhile, opposition figures have indicated that a new impeachment complaint could soon be filed against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Former congresswoman Liza L. Maza said the filing could be finalized next week, potentially reigniting efforts to remove the Vice-President after a contentious bid last year.

Potential impeachment proceedings against both the President and Vice-President will test a July Supreme Court ruling that tightened rules on due process.

The court required that officials facing impeachment be allowed to respond to allegations and that the House be given reasonable time to decide whether to elevate a case to the Senate.

Ms. Duterte was the first Philippine Vice-President to be impeached. However, the high court halted further action after ruling that the process used by the House was unconstitutional.

Lawmakers had sent the complaint directly to the Senate without a hearing after more than one-third of the House endorsed it.