Marcos may face ouster raps over flood control scandal, says lawmaker

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. may face an impeachment complaint as critics prepare a case against him, a lawmaker said, in a move that reflects growing discontent over his administration’s handling of a widening multibillion-peso corruption scandal.

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Edgar R. Erice said a group approached him last week seeking his endorsement for an impeachment complaint against Mr. Marcos. He did not identify the group, describing them only as the President’s “usual critics.”

“Some people called me, inviting me to endorse it,” Mr. Erice said by telephone. He said he declined, adding that he prefers to remain impartial.

The potential complaint would center on allegations of betrayal of public trust, Mr. Erice said. Under the 1987 Constitution, grounds for impeachment include culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.

Any Filipino may file an impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives. However, at least one-third of all lawmakers must endorse it before the case can be transmitted to the Senate, which convenes as an impeachment court.

Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said Mr. Marcos respects the constitutional process of impeachment but is confident lawmakers will be guided by facts rather than politicking.

“The President remains committed to leading and producing results for the Filipino people” she told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. “He respects the existing constitutional processes and believes that any actions taken by members of Congress will be driven by facts, the law and national interest.”

The impeachment talk comes as Mr. Marcos grapples with what analysts describe as the most serious political crisis of his six-year term. Several government officials, politicians and private contractors have been accused of diverting billions of pesos from funds meant for flood control projects in a country frequently hit by typhoons.

Mr. Erice said the corruption scandal is likely fueling ouster efforts against the President. He criticized the administration’s response, saying the probe lacks credibility and direction.

“The way it is being handled is really messy,” he said. “There is no direction and it is confusing.”

He added that the fact-finding commission has limited backing and that the appointed anti-graft official is seen as a close ally of the President, raising doubts about the investigation’s independence.

Public sentiment toward the President has also weakened. Mr. Marcos’ net trust rating turned negative in a December survey by Social Weather Stations, falling to -3 from +7 in September, as more Filipinos said they had little trust in his leadership amid the corruption controversy.

In November, Mr. Marcos said those involved in the kickback scheme would be jailed before the end of 2025. So far, authorities have arrested some contractors and lower-level officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways, while politicians linked to the issue remain free.

Mr. Erice said Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio could also face a fresh impeachment attempt once a Supreme Court ruling barring further ouster moves against her lapses on Feb. 6.

“There will also be groups who will file impeachment cases against the Vice-President,” he said.

The Office of the Vice-President did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Possible impeachment bids against both the President and Vice-President could test a Supreme Court ruling issued in July that tightened rules on impeachment proceedings. The court said due process and fairness must apply at every stage of the process.

Ms. Duterte is 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 House members endorsed it.

The Supreme Court said officials facing impeachment must be given the chance to respond to allegations, and that the House must be given reasonable time to decide whether to elevate a case to the Senate.

“That’s better, that way both sides could be heard,” Mr. Erice said. Still, he warned that simultaneous impeachment efforts against the country’s top two officials could hurt political and economic stability.

House Assistant Majority Leader Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong said any attempt to impeach Mr. Marcos must be backed by solid evidence.

“Anything less will not pass constitutional scrutiny,” he said in a statement. “Impeachment should never be used as a political tool. It exists for grave and provable offenses, not for creating noise.”

In a separate statement, Davao City Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte urged lawmakers to reject any impeachment move against the Vice-President, his sister, saying such efforts are politically driven.

“Some say impeachment is the voice of the people. But the question is — when did you last speak to your constituents?” he said in a Facebook post.

Ms. Duterte is widely seen as a frontrunner for the 2028 presidential election. A conviction in the Senate would permanently bar her from holding public office.

The tensions underscore the deepening rift between the Marcos and Duterte camps, once allies who won the 2022 elections by a landslide. Their political split last year over policy differences has since reshaped the country’s power dynamics and raised the stakes of the unfolding corruption scandal.