Manila: The House of Representatives, sitting in plenary, has overwhelmingly upheld the dismissal of two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for being insufficient in substance. In a decisive vote, 284 lawmakers voted in favor, with only 8 opposed and 4 abstentions, adopting House Resolution 746 and approving the findings, conclusions, and recommendations from Committee Report 111 of the House Committee on Justice, led by Batangas Representative Gerville 'Jinky Bitrics' Luistro.
According to Philippines News Agency, the impeachment complaints were declared dismissed by Deputy Speaker Janette Garin, who presided over the session. The justice panel found that both complaints, filed by Andre De Jesus and a group led by former lawmaker Liza Maza, lacked the necessary substance, failing to allege ultimate facts that would establish any impeachable offense by President Marcos.
Luistro highlighted in her speech that the complaints did not demonstrate any factual connection between the President and a violation of the Constitution, identifying them instead as policy disagreements and generalized accusations without substantive basis. Major political parties, including Marcos' own Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, expressed support for the dismissal, emphasizing the need to focus on national governance and stability.
Quezon Representative Mark Enverga, representing the Nationalist People's Coalition, affirmed that the justice committee acted within constitutional and House rule boundaries. He emphasized that the dismissal allows the government to address the pressing needs of the Filipino people while upholding the rule of law.
The complaints, although initially found sufficient in form, were deemed insufficient in substance. The De Jesus complaint cited alleged unconstitutional acts and misuse of appropriations, while the Maza et al. complaint involved allegations related to infrastructure spending and irregularities in budget allocations.
At the committee level, the complaints failed to gain sufficient support, with the De Jesus complaint dismissed by a 42-1 vote with three abstentions and the Maza et al. complaint receiving only seven affirmative votes against 39 negative votes. Luistro stressed the importance of dismissing complaints lacking in substance to prevent the misuse of impeachment as a tool for political harassment.
She reiterated that the decision reflects the Committee's adherence to the 1987 Constitution, ensuring that the rule of law is upheld over political rhetoric. The resolution serves as a commitment to prioritize the interests of the Filipino people and maintain the integrity of the impeachment process.
