Ched Rick Gatchalian

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recounts his first week as the country's chief executive in his latest YouTube video posted on July 9, 2022. Bongbong Marcos/YouTube

 

Article (news)

House panel eyes Feb. 2 start of deliberations on Marcos Jr. impeachment complaints

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176950344055420220710-pres-bbm.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recounts his first week as the country&#x27;s chief executive in his latest YouTube video posted on July 9, 2022. Bongbong Marcos/YouTube"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recounts his first week as the country&#x27;s chief executive in his latest YouTube video posted on July 9, 2022. Bongbong Marcos/YouTube</span></span></span></div><p style="text-align:left">MANILA — The House Committee on Justice is expected to begin next week the deliberations on the verified impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</p><p>Committee Chairperson and Batangas 2nd District Gerville Luistro said she is considering February 2, 3 and 4 as initial schedule for the discussions on the determination of form and substance.</p><p>“Definitely, these dates will be dedicated for the purpose of determining sufficiency in form and substance. Kung kulang pa itong hearing dates na ito, we will be scheduling further dates on the succeeding week,” Luistro explained.</p><div> </div><div><strong>HOUSE PROCESS</strong></div><p>When the panel convenes, it will first consolidate the two impeachment complaints referred to it by the House plenary. The committee will then proceed to determine whether the consolidated complaint is sufficient in form. If it is, the panel will determine sufficiency in substance. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/26/2-verified-impeachment-complaints-against-marcos-jr-referred-to-house-committee-on-justice-1903" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2 verified impeachment complaints against Marcos Jr. referred to House Committee on Justice</a></div><p>“Basically, ‘pag sinabi po nating sufficiency inform, the impeachment complaints should be signed, verified, and endorsed by at least a House member… When we say sufficiency in substance, it means that the allegations of the commission of facts should be able to substantiate the ground for impeachment under which the same is anchored. We will see in the deliberation on sufficiency in substance if the statement of facts, the allegations contained in the impeachment complaint are sufficient to substantiate a ground, some ground, or more grounds for impeachment,” Luistro said.</p><p>“We are not supposed to proceed to the succeeding step kung hindi makakapasa doon sa standard ng sufficiency in form and sufficiency in substance… Kailangan pa rin ang committee report but we will not be able to reach the succeeding steps,” she added.</p><p>The committee proceedings for the determination of form and substance of the consolidated impeachment complaint will be participated by panel members only.</p><p>Once the complaint hurdles this, the respondent will be given the opportunity to answer the complaint. The panel may conduct hearings, and invite the President as respondent, but it will be his prerogative whether or not to appear before the panel, according to Luistro.</p><p>“Paano kung hindi dumating yung respondent? It is actually his prerogative whether to come or not to come. Because just like any other respondent, this participation during the hearing is part of the right to due process.</p><p>If he will choose not to come, that will be interpreted as a waiver of his right to be present during the hearing,” she explained.</p><p>If the House panel decides to eventually invite the President to a hearing, House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar Erice believes it is important for the President to at least send a representative to answer the allegations in the impeachment complaint.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/26/makabayan-refiles-marcos-impeachment-complaint-1052">Makabayan refiles Marcos impeachment complaint</a></div><p>“It&#x27;s up to the President whether he would answer it personally or he may just send a representative to answer these allegations. Mahalaga din na sagutin niya para maliwanagan ng taong bayan. Dahil nakikita ko doon sa pinakamahalagang sagutin niya ‘yung allegations ng Makabayan bloc na talagang nagkaroon ng problema ‘yung 2023, 2024, and 2025 national budget…  Hindi lang ang Kongreso ang mabibitin, kundi ‘yung taong bayan mabibitin doon sa mga allegations at sa mga kasagutan ng Pangulo,” Erice said.</p><p>Complainants and witnesses may also be invited to the hearings.</p><p>The committee will then determine whether there is probable cause to support the President’s impeachment.</p><p>After hearing, and by a majority vote of all its members, the House panel shall submit its report to the plenary within 60 session days from referral, together with the corresponding resolution. A vote of at least one-third of all House members is necessary either to affirm a favorable resolution or override it.</p><p>The first complaint filed by Atty. Andre de Jesus and endorsed by Pusong Pinoy Party List Representative Jernie Jett Nisay, accused the President of graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust. Among the grounds it cited are the surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court, the President’s alleged “drug addiction”, his failure to veto unprogrammed appropriations, claims that he benefitted from alleged kickbacks from budget insertions and ghost flood control projects, and his creation of the Independent Comission for Infrastructure, supposed to to “protect allies”.</p><p>The second impeachment complaint, meanwhile, accused the President of betrayal of public trust, citing three articles of impeachment, including the allegation that the so-called “Baselined-Balanced-Managed or the BBM Parametric Formula” for the allocation of infrastructure budget resulted in the alleged “massive misallocation of funds” and laid the basis for alleged kickbacks and “commitments” for favored officials. </p><p>The second article accused the President of abusing discretionary power over unprogrammed appropriations, and the third article alleged that the President has “direct personal involvement in budgetary insertions and kickback schemes”. The complaint cited previous claims by former House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Zaldy Co in a video posted on social media, that Marcos supposedly “personally directed” the insertion of P100 billion in the 2025 budget for alleged anomalous projects.</p><div> </div><div><strong>SUFFICIENT?</strong></div><p>Atty. Neri Colmenares, a complainant in the second impeachment complaint against the President, expressed confidence their complaint against the President is sufficient in form and substance.</p><p>With or without Zaldy Co’s testimony, Colmenares believes they have sufficient evidence to support the grounds for impeachment they cited. Colmenares called on House members to vote based on the evidence to be presented.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/16/-we-re-not-going-for-it-nup-s-puno-says-impeachment-effort-vs-marcos-won-t-prosper-1609">NUP&#x27;s Puno says impeachment effort vs Marcos won&#x27;t prosper</a></div><p>“We&#x27;re confident all things being equal in an ideal world where decisions are made on the merits and on the law, we will win the grounds on impeachment dito sa kasong ito. (03:37) There will be witnesses which we will identify later on. Pero hindi ngayon because it&#x27;s just the start of the hearing. But definitely, if required in the Committee on Justice hearing, we will present our evidence,” he said.</p><p>“Ang panawagan siyempre sa Committee on Justice is to vote according to the evidence presented by both parties. Ang ebidensya naman came from Congressional Records and other official documents ng DBM, COA, etc. So sana kung titingnan nila ‘yan, I really hope that they will vote according to the merits,” Colmenares added.</p><div> </div><div><strong>INDEPENDENCE AND IMPARTIALITY</strong></div><p> Despite House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III’s previous statement that he sees no basis that would justify the impeachment complaint against the President, Luistro said she expects her panel to “act with utmost independence and impartiality”.</p><p>“Well, with all due respect to Speaker Bojie Dy, I am expecting the entire Justice Committee to act with utmost independence and impartiality. So regardless of the pronouncement of Speaker Bojie Dy, the members of the House are expected to evaluate, assess, and hear the impeachment complaint with utmost independence and impartiality,” Luistro said.</p><p>Now that the impeachment proceedings against the President has been initiated, Luistro said the one-year ban on subsequent impeachment complaints is now in effect.</p><p>“Wala nang pwedeng humabol… Basta may makarating na impeachment complaint sa Justice Committee, following the Francisco ruling, it completes the initiation process, and therefore, it bars all subsequent impeachment complaints against the same impeachable official. It likewise triggers the running of the one-year prohibition period,” she explained.</p><div> </div><div><strong>TWO IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS?</strong></div><p> With progressive groups also vowing to file a fresh impeachment complaint against the Vice President this February, Luistro gave assurances the Justice Committee is ready to tackle two impeachment proceedings simultaneously.</p><p>&quot;In the event that this impeachment complaint by the Makabayan Group is indeed filed and referred to the Justice Committee, we have no other option but to receive the same, evaluate the same and hear the impeachment complaint. The reason is, this is a Constitutional mandate that we really have to face. It does not depend on our desire. It does not depend on our availability. It does not depend on our preference. It is a mandate that we really have to address,” Luistro said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/14/can-congress-tackle-possible-twin-impeachment-of-marcos-duterte-lawyers-weigh-in-1327">Can Congress tackle the possible impeachment of Marcos and Duterte? Lawyers weigh in</a></div><p>“Let me express my strongest faith and confidence to the 38 members of the Justice Committee. They have the necessary skills, knowledge, and background to take care of these two impeachment complaints. So I am confident that we can hear both impeachment complaints using proper strategies,” she added.</p>

<p>The House Committee on Justice is expected to begin next week the deliberations on the verified impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</p>

The House Committee on Justice is expected to begin next week the deliberations on the verified impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.