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MANILA, Philippines — An impeachment complaint has been filed before the House of Representatives against President Marcos – purportedly for betrayal of public trust, including for allowing the turnover of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and the involvement of some of his officials in flood control corruption.
The impeachment complaint, filed yesterday by lawyer Andre de Jesus, was confirmed by House secretary-general Cheloy Garafil, who also disclosed its endorsement by Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay (Pusong Pinoy party-list), who sits as deputy minority leader in the official House minority bloc.
The impeachment complaint – the first for the Chief Executive who is now more than halfway into his fixed six-year term – would be transmitted to Speaker Faustino Dy III in accordance with the 1987 Constitution and House rules.
“Once this becomes official, and as soon as it is included in the Order of Business and soon enough will be referred to the justice committee, rest assured that we are ready to receive the complaint,” said Rep. Gerville Luistro, chairperson of the House justice committee.
When asked if the President himself or his legal counsel is required to attend the justice committee hearings on the complaint, Luistro replied: “As far as I can recall, they have the discretion to attend or not to attend as part of the requirement of due process.”
In his complaint, De Jesus accused Marcos of allowing the ICC to “kidnap” the former president.
“We are putting this into question, and we are holding the President accountable for allowing a citizen of the country to be whisked away, kidnapped, without due process, despite the functioning courts in our country,” he said.
De Jesus also raised the issue of Marcos’ alleged drug dependence, as repeatedly declared by Duterte and by his own sister Sen. Imee Marcos.
“Marcos’ refusal to submit to a drug test conclusively demonstrates his disregard for transparency and accountability. By remaining silent and evasive, Marcos tellingly confirmed public suspicion and betrayed the trust of a nation he swore to serve,” De Jesus wrote in his complaint.
“An allegation that a sitting President might be somehow involved in addiction of any sort to prohibited drugs should be alarming. It has been an issue that has been dodged by the President, sweeping it under the rug. That failure to react can be taken against you,” he justified.
“Silence means yes. We have not heard from the President denying it. We have not heard from the President undergoing procedure to debunk all these rumors,” De Jesus said.
He also said the presence of unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 national budget is a ground for the President’s impeachment, even if he had vetoed a portion of them.
“We are also holding the President accountable for failing to veto UAs despite being able to do so. The President had every opportunity to veto, he signed the 2025 budget even if the Supreme Court said that the PhilHealth part of that budget is unconstitutional,” De Jesus pointed out.
“Impeachment exists precisely for eventualities such as those discussed herein – when a President systematically abuses power, blatantly disregards the Constitution and betrays public trust. Marcos has demonstrated a pattern of corruption, disloyalty to constitutional order and moral unfitness,” a portion of the complaint read.
De Jesus said Marcos’ continued stay in office “undermines democratic governance” and therefore “justifies and necessitates impeachment.”
Baseless
Malacañang described as “baseless” the allegations against President Marcos as it assured the public that there will be no disruption in government’s operations despite the filing of the complaint.
“For now, we cannot speak in detail about what the Palace and the President can say about this because we do not have a copy (of the impeachment complaint) yet. But we have long addressed these issues. We have already explained them and for now, we can say that based solely on what you mentioned, they are baseless,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said at a press briefing.
“Even before the rumors about a possible impeachment complaint against the President surfaced, we already said that the President respects the Constitution and due process,” she said.
Asked whether she thought Congress has the numbers to impeach the President, Castro replied: “The President believes our lawmakers will use their intellect and their heart and they will act in accordance with the law, not personal interests.”
House officials and administration lawmakers vowed to observe due process in their handling of the complaint.
“Impeachment is a remedy, not a weapon. It remains as a constitutional mechanism to address grave violations, but we cannot allow our constitutional processes to be hijacked by those seeking to manufacture crisis where none exists,” Rep. Miro Quimbo, chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said.
“The House stands for continuity of governance and respect for the will of the electorate. With two years left in the administration’s term, let us keep our government functioning smoothly instead of causing needless disruption,” the Marikina representative added.
“As it is, with the current economic and social volatility, our efforts should prioritize stability and resolving widespread issues like rising commodity prices and health care affordability,” Quimbo stressed.
Reps. Joel Chua and Jonathan Keith Flores also vowed to adhere to normal processes in dealing with the impeachment complaint.
“There will be no shortcuts, and there will be no pre-judgment. At the same time, it must be stated frankly that, based on what is publicly known at this point, the complaint faces a steep and difficult path in the House,” Chua, third district congressman from Manila, said.
Flores of Bukidnon said the Marcos impeachment suit “will be processed by the House in the ordinary course, in accordance with the Constitution, House rules and the current parameters laid down by the SC, pending final resolution of the House’s motion for reconsideration.”
The three-man Makabayan bloc said it has its own impeachment initiative and “will make an announcement at the proper time.”
“We believe that the basis for impeachment is present in the systematic plunder of the budget, the ballooning unprogrammed funds used for anomalous flood control projects and the serious allegations of Palace kickbacks in infrastructure projects,” it said in a Viber message to reporters.
“At a time when no government agency has investigated Marcos’ involvement in these impeachable acts, impeachment becomes an important venue for accountability. We will continue to call for accountability of those involved in all these – from top to bottom,” it added.
Meanwhile, Rep. Edgar Erice disclosed yesterday that De Jesus was First Lady Liza Marcos’ lawyer in her disbarment case against a fellow lawyer in 2024. — Alexis Romero
