Second impeach raps vs Marcos sent to House justice panel

National

THE House of Representatives officially accepted a second impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, Jan. 26.

The referral of impeachment complaints to the justice committee of the House triggered the “one-year ban”, which means g no other impeachment charges can be filed against the President until 2027.

The latest complaint was filed by the Makabayan bloc and various activist groups. It was sent to the House Committee on Justice along with an earlier, separate complaint filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus on Jan. 19, a report by Inquirer.net said.

The process was finalized after House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil formally received the documents, following a brief delay last week when her office initially refused to accept them while she was traveling.

The two complaints vary greatly in their accusations. The first filing by De Jesus includes claims of "kidnapping" involving former President Rodrigo Duterte and allegations of drug use, which some critics in Congress have dismissed as weak or unsubstantiated.

The Makabayan complaint, however, focuses on a specific policy called the "BBM Parametric Formula" within the Department of Public Works and Highways. Complainants allege this system was used to manipulate government funds and generate kickbacks for infrastructure projects.

To ensure the process appears fair, the President’s son, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, announced he is recusing himself from all discussions regarding the impeachment. He stated that while he is not legally required to step aside, he is doing so to protect the credibility of the House of Representatives.

The Committee on Justice now has 60 session days to review the evidence and decide if the complaints have enough merit to proceed to a trial.(Georgia Olivar, USJ-R Comm Intern)