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Alexis Romero - The Philippine Star
January 30, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos praised the decision of his son, House majority leader Sandro Marcos, to recuse himself from the deliberations on the impeachment complaints against him, saying it is necessary for the process to be deemed fair.
Sandro, who represents the first district of Ilocos Norte, has decided not to join discussions, deliberations and proceedings of the House of Representatives rules committee on the complaints, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the chamber, protect the credibility of its processes and uphold the public’s trust in the constitutional system.
The House must be allowed to discharge its constitutional duties without any shadow of personal interest, real or imagined, the younger Marcos said.
In a video interview released by the Presidential Communications Office Wednesday night, Marcos described the lawmaker’s action as “very proper.”
“I also heard it from the news. He (Sandro) did not inform me about it, but what he did was right. That’s very proper because I am his father. Of course, he is biased for me,” the President said.
“He should recuse himself. He should remove himself from the process so that the process can be seen to be fair and proper,” he added.
The House justice panel is set to deliberate on the two referred impeachment complaints against the President next week.
The first complaint, which was filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus and endorsed by Pusong Pinoy party-list Rep. Rep. Jett Nisay, alleged that Marcos had betrayed public trust and committed a culpable violation of the Constitution. They cited the supposed order of Marcos to “kidnap” and surrender former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court and his alleged failure to veto the unconstitutional provisions of the past four national budgets.
Another complaint, filed by the Makabayan coalition and endorsed by ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co, accused Marcos of betraying public trust for adopting the baselined-balanced-managed parametric formula that allegedly resulted in kickbacks in government infrastructure.
Malacañang has denied all the allegations and maintained that all the President’s actions are lawful.
Palace press officer Claire Castro maintained that Marcos would respect the impeachment process. She added that there were no discussions yet on who would constitute the President’s legal team.
Stop the noise, secure endorser
Critics should stop creating unnecessary noise and instead find a House member willing to endorse the impeachment complaint against President Marcos, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said yesterday.
Adiong said claims aired by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio and former Anakalusugan congressman Mike Defensor lack factual basis, stressing that the issue has nothing to do with the process being blocked.
“The problem is straightforward: there is no House member endorser. Without an endorser, the complaint cannot move. That is what the rules clearly provide,” Adiong said. “I believed that no one stopped them. If they really want their impeachment complaint to move, the rule is very simple: they need a House member to endorse it…
“This is not about being stopped or blocked. It’s about meeting a basic requirement. The absence of an endorser is the main issue.”
Adiong said these rules are long established and intended to ensure order and fairness in the impeachment process. “The process cannot be changed and the complainant cannot be blocked,” Adiong said. “The rules are clear, and they apply to everyone.”
Adiong said that once a complaint is properly endorsed and transmitted to the Speaker, the House follows a defined timetable, beginning with referral to the committee on justice and a step-by-step review of sufficiency in form and substance.
His remarks echoed earlier clarifications by House committee on justice chair Gerville Luistro, who said impeachment complaints filed by private individuals will not be transmitted to the Office of the Speaker unless endorsed by a House member.
“Just like any other bill, it must be sponsored by at least a member of the House. If this is filed by a private individual and no one will sponsor, it will not be transmitted to the Office of the Speaker,” Luistro said in a recent media forum.
Luistro explained that impeachment complaints may be filed only in two ways: either by a private individual endorsed by a House member, or through the signature and verification of at least one-third of all House members. Without meeting either requirement, a complaint does not enter the formal House process.
“It is not my intention to preempt any discussion on sufficiency. But by form, it has to be supported by a House member, it has to be signed by private individual and it should be verified by an authorized officer,” the lawmaker explained further. — Jose Rodel Clapano
