Makabayan: House exec won’t commit to immediate action on impeach complaint vs Marcos

MANILA, Philippines – Makabayaan successfully filed its impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with the House of Representatives on Monday, January 26, after a failed attempt four days ago, but the future of the petition remains uncertain.

ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio said House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil — now back in the House after her trip to Taiwan last week — received the complaint, but won’t commit to immediately referring the complaint to the Speaker’s office.

“She said that according to tradition, no same-day referral of the complaint to the Speaker’s office has happened before,” Garafil said.

Rappler reached out to Garafil for comment, but she has yet to get back to us.

There’s already a complaint on Speaker’s desk — the one endorsed by Pusong Pinoy Representative Jett Nisay.

If Speaker Bojie Dy does not forward Makabayan’s complaint at the same time as Nisay’s complaint to the plenary, there is a strong possibility that Nisay’s petition will be the first one to be referred to the justice committee.

Referral to the justice committee means initiation of the complaint. Because the Constitution only allows one impeachment proceeding against an impeachable official per year, Makabayan’s complaint essentially loses value. – Rappler.com