ASEANEWS HEADLINE-COURTS & CRIME | MANILA: Second impeach complaint vs Marcos refiled
The Makabayan bloc arrives at the House of Representatives yesterday to file the second impeachment complaint against President Marcos; House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil accepted the complaint after returning to the country./ Michael Varcas
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Office of House SecGen officially receives second impeachment complaint vs Marcos | ANC
Dateline Philippines: The Office of the House Secretary General on Monday (January 26) formally received the second impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after it was refiled by progressive group members and Makabayan congressmen. A copy of the complaint was filed last week at the House’s Office of the Secretary General, though it was not marked as received as the top official was not present.
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MANILA, Philippines — Militant and progressive groups, led by the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, successfully refiled their impeachment complaint against President Marcos yesterday, received by House secretary-general Cheloy Garafil.
Makabayan lawmakers Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers), Renee Louise Co (Kabataan) and Sarah Elago (Gabriela) were accompanied by former Bayan Muna congressmen Teddy Casiño and Neri Colmenares, former congresswomen Liza Maza (Gabriela) and France Castro (ACT Teachers) and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan president Renato Reyes, among others.
“This impeachment complaint is not limited to President Marcos’ betrayal of public trust – this is also about the government’s systemic corruption that goes all the way to the highest echelons of the administration,” Reyes said.
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The Makabayan-led complaint centers on three Articles of Impeachment: institutionalizing systemic corruption and patronage; abuse of discretionary power over unprogrammed appropriations and direct personal involvement in kickback schemes.
The group failed to file the complaint last week as Garafil was in Taipei to receive a commendation from the Taiwanese government.
The suit is the second filed against Marcos after private lawyer Andre de Jesus’ complaint.
Last night, the two impeachment complaints were referred to the House committee on justice, headed by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville Luistro.
The committee, which has yet to calendar its hearings, will be determining if both suits can hurdle the form and substance requisites, in which case the suits will be consolidated and congressmen will deliberate on its merits before submission for plenary approval.
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Arguments
Makabayan primarily focused on the existence of the “BBM Parametric Formula” – a Department of Public Works and Highways policy that stands for “baselined-balanced-managed” which uses the President’s initials.
For the group, the BBM Parametric Formula “provided the justification for presidential and congressional infrastructure project allocations in the national budget” that was supposedly the “basis for kickbacks or commitments.”
“The objective of this scheme was twofold and mutually reinforcing: massive personal enrichment for the President and his inner circle, and the accumulation of an illicit ‘war chest’ for the 2025 national elections,” Makabayan said in its impeachment complaint.
“The evidence is in plain sight – a DPWH policy literally bearing the President’s initials, serving as the mechanism for corruption. This is a smoking gun that only proves the direct link of Marcos to the widespread and massive corruption in government infrastructure,” Tinio emphasized.
The coalition called on Speaker Faustino Dy III and the House leadership to include the impeachment complaint in the order of business within the constitutionally mandated 10 session days and refer it to the proper committee within three session days thereafter.
A third group, led by former Ilocos Sur governor Luis “Chavit” Singson and former congressman Mike Defensor, unsuccessfully filed their impeachment complaint last week following Garafil’s absence.
The complainants, all allies of Vice President Sara Duterte, have not refiled it since.
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Sandro inhibits
Out of delicadeza, presidential son and House majority leader Sandro Marcos said he will inhibit himself from participating in the impeachment complaints filed against President Marcos.
“This decision is guided not by legal compulsion, but by a higher obligation – to preserve the integrity of the House, to protect the credibility of its processes and to uphold the public’s trust in our constitutional system,” the younger Marcos noted.
The Ilocos Norte 1st district representative vowed not to join “all discussions, deliberations and proceedings of the House committee on rules insofar as these complaints are concerned.”
“While I am fully aware that the Rules of the House do not require my inhibition, and while I remain confident in the independence and professionalism of my colleagues, I recognize that leadership sometimes calls for restraint rather than participation,” he said.
“In moments that test institutions, perception matters as much as procedure. The House must be allowed to discharge its constitutional duties without any shadow of personal interest, real or imagined,” Marcos added.
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Back to normal
Meanwhile, President Marcos is “back to normal” days after he was confined in hospital because of diverticulitis, an inflammation in the large intestine that causes abdominal pain.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos is now in good condition and was even attended a meeting yesterday.
Marcos presided over the seventh meeting of the Economy and Development Council at the Bahay Pangulo Pavilion within the Presidential Security Command complex.
The meeting tackled this year’s priorities to revitalize the implementation of the Philippine Development Plan and advance national digital connectivity.
“We can say that he is back to normal,” Castro said at a press briefing.
Castro also described as “fake news” claims that the President would undergo surgery.
The President spent the night under medical observation last Wednesday at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City after experiencing discomfort.
In a video statement released the following day, Marcos said his critics should not be “too excited” because diverticulitis is not life-threatening.
“Don’t worry. The rumors of my death are highly exaggerated,” he added. — Alexis Romero
