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MANILA, Philippines — The two impeachment complaints filed against President Marcos have been deemed “sufficient in form” by the justice committee of the House of Representatives.
The committee, chaired by Rep. Gerville Luistro, yesterday voted 46-1, with one abstention, to declare the complaint filed by private lawyer Andre de Jesus “sufficient in form,” while the other complaint, filed by the Makabayan bloc, got the same verdict with a vote of 35-9 with one abstention.
The lone dissenter in the voting was Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, chairman of the House committee on human rights, who told his colleagues that both complaints failed to meet formal requirements.
“It is very clear that there is insufficiency in form. That is very clear. This is actually an exercise in futility, a waste of the people’s money,” he said.
Luistro’s panel will resume its hearing at 10 a.m. today, with officials and members expected to discuss – and vote on – whether the two complaints are also sufficient in substance.
If at today’s hearing the two complaints are deemed sufficient in substance, Luistro said her panel would set into motion the “first impeachment proceeding of the 20th Congress.”
It was Rep. Loreto Amante (Laguna third district) who initially moved to declare the De Jesus impeachment complaint “sufficient in form,” which was seconded but later opposed by Abante. This prompted Luistro to order a division of the House.
The Luistro panel initially held off deciding on the Makabayan complaint after Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro City second district) raised questions about its verification, citing the absence of notarization and proper identification. Former congresswoman Liza Maza led the filing of the Makabayan complaint.
“If you look at the verification itself, there’s no notarization. How can it be a valid verification?” Rodriguez, chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments, asked.
After a brief discussion, however, the committee proceeded upon learning that both complaints followed the same format.
SC ruling, no effect
Also yesterday, justice committee vice chairperson Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said the recent Supreme Court ruling on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte would have no effect on the one against President Marcos.
“The impeachment complaint (against Duterte) then was under the second mode, or the mode which requires a one-third vote of all members of the House,” Zamora told her colleagues.
“In this case, the two complaints (against Marcos) were filed by ordinary citizens and endorsed by members of Congress and then referred within the proper period to the House committee on justice,” Zamora explained.
“So, there is no effect on the proceedings before this committee,” she stressed.
Zamora pointed out that the SC ruling “actually dealt with the definition of the term ‘session days’ made in relation to the counting of the days of session within which the impeachment complaint filed against the VP was included in the (House) Order of Business in the proceedings last year (2025) and then subsequently referred to the committee on justice.”
She added that based on the tribunal’s definition of “session days,” it found the complaint against the Vice President as “barred.”
Luistro and Bukidnon Rep. Keith Flores, also a vice chair of the committee, said they agreed with Zamora.
“I agree, it has no effect because the pending impeachment complaints were filed under the first mode by private citizens and endorsed by House members,” Luistro of Batangas said.
Luistro cautioned her colleagues against interpreting the SC decision, particularly the impeachment timetable, saying they should leave the matter to the leadership and “proper committees” of the House.
Malacañang, meanwhile, maintained that President Marcos did not commit any impeachable offense as it downplayed the accusations hurled by the Makabayan bloc that he was the “biggest fish” in the flood control scam.
“Even before, the President said he did not do anything wrong, he did not violate the law and he did not commit an impeachable offense so he is confident,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said at a press briefing yesterday.
“Can changes be expected in the statement of the Makabayan bloc? It is easy to accuse, it is easy to talk before the media, in front of the camera, but it is hard to prove their allegations,” the Palace press officer said.
“Although they are allowed to talk and they have freedom of expression, it doesn’t mean that they can just speak without any evidence. So for us, irrelevant,” she added.
Castro said the administration respects the impeachment process, but the President is worried about the impact of the complaint on the economy.
“The filing of the impeachment complaint will not just affect the President, but the entire country and the economy,” she said.
“So the President is concerned over the impeachment complaint against him, not for himself because he knows that he did not do anything wrong and he did not commit any impeachable offense. He is concerned about its effect on the economy.”
