Marcos faces impeachment complaint

An impeachment complaint was filed Monday against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the House of Representatives, endorsed by Pusong Pinoy Partylist Rep. Jett Nisay. The complaint, prepared by private lawyer Andre de Jesus, cited five grounds, including culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and graft and corruption. House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil officially received the verified complaint.

Nisay, a Deputy Minority Leader and member of the powerful House Committee on Rules, said the President “shouldn’t be above the law.” He stressed that Congress has a duty to carefully examine the complaint and allow due process to take its course.

The 12-page complaint includes multiple allegations. It claims Marcos violated the Constitution and betrayed the public trust by surrendering former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC). It also alleges that he is unfit to serve due to his drug addiction, his failure to veto unprogrammed appropriations and unconstitutional provisions in the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), that he engaged in graft and corruption through kickbacks and ghost projects, and created the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to protect allies accused of corruption.

Senior House Deputy Minority Leader Edgar Erice said some groups asked him to endorse the impeachment complaint but he declined, noting that under Supreme Court rules complaints must go through the House Committee on Justice.

Erice said he remained “open-minded” and will wait to see the evidence and arguments once the complaint is formally reviewed.

House Justice Committee Chair Rep. Gerville “Jinky” Luistro said the committee is ready to receive the complaint once it is included in the order of business. Because the complaint was filed by a private citizen and sponsored by a House member, it differs from impeachment complaints filed by at least one-third of House members, which follow a separate process.

Luistro outlined the procedure: the complaint is first referred to the House Speaker, followed by a 10-session day period before its referral to the justice committee, which will hold hearings to determine its sufficiency in form and substance.

“As soon as it is referred to the justice committee, we will act on it in our capacity as chair. Everything will follow the proper procedure and due process,” Luistro said.

The House is set to reconvene on 26 January, though the timing of hearings will depend on the Secretary General’s office. Luistro assured that official statements will be issued once the process formally begins, with updates made public through the proper channels.

The filing comes amid growing scrutiny of President Marcos’s decisions, including his handling of the ICC case against Duterte, unprogrammed budget appropriations, and infrastructure policies.

Pulong: A scripted distraction

Davao First District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte on Monday criticized the filing of an impeachment complaint against President Marcos, calling it a “scripted distraction” and questioning the motive.

He pointed out that the complaint, endorsed by Representative Nisay, mirrored First Lady Liza Marcos’ filing of a disbarment complaint against former Biliran Rep. Glen Chiong.

“What is this — conflict of interest or political multitasking? Impeach with one hand, disbar with the other? It’s world-class gymnastics,” Duterte said.

He added, “We all know only one impeachment complaint can be filed against an impeachable official. Complaints like this exist only to defend an official from real impeachment cases.”

Duterte also criticized the handling of the ongoing flood control corruption cases, noting the lack of concrete evidence.

“Instead of a proper investigation, what we’re getting is diversion: a hastily cooked impeachment, a sideline disbarment, and endless press conferences,” he said.

“The people are not blind — they’re just tired of being played,” he added.

About Pusong Pinoy

Pusong Pinoy is a Bataan-based partylist group that began as a medical and financial assistance program during the Covid-19 pandemic helping indigent patients access treatment at hospitals such as the Philippine Heart Center and Philippine General Hospital.

The party officially joined the partylist race in 2022 and won a seat in the House on a platform focused on healthcare, education recovery, and livelihood support for marginalized communities, retaining that seat in 2025.

The party is represented by Nisay, a former barangay captain of Cupang West and three-term councilor of Balanga City. Now serving as Deputy Minority Leader in the 20th Congress, Nisay has authored measures such as the proposed Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act which seeks to institutionalize continuous skills upgrading for Filipino workers.