The Makabayan bloc and those behind the second impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned of possible obstruction and vowed to return to the House of Representatives on Monday, 26 January, to ensure the complaint is formally received and entered into the order of business.

Members of the group said they would personally follow up with House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil to push for the complaint’s official acknowledgment during the afternoon session.

“We are returning on Monday to ensure there are no more excuses. The Secretary General has already returned from Taiwan, so there is no reason not to receive the complaint,” ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio said in Filipino.

Tinio said they expect the House leadership to stop delaying the process and allow the complaint to move forward in the interest of accountability.

The Makabayan Coalition earlier declared that the impeachment complaint should already be considered filed, despite Garafil’s absence last week when complainants first attempted to submit the documents. At the time, Garafil was in Taipei to receive an award from Taiwan’s foreign ministry.

After going to the Office of the Secretary General, the complainants — including Bagong Alyansang Makabayan president Renato Reyes, Makabayan Coalition president Liza Maza, and former Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Teddy Casiño, along with Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co — asserted that they had met all constitutional requirements.

“It is deemed served. The requirements are a verified complaint from citizens and an endorsement — we have fulfilled that,” Colmenares, a lawyer, said.

Colmenares argued that the Constitution does not require the personal receipt of an impeachment complaint by the secretary general, but only that it be filed with the office.

He cited Article XI, Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution, noting that it does not explicitly mention the secretary general. 

“The term ‘secretary general’ is not in the Constitution. It was the House that required submission to the Secretary General, and we complied. What is stated is the Office of the Secretary General, and we followed that,” he said.

Co, one of the three House endorsers of the complaint along with Tinio and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Jane Elago, also said House rules do not require the secretary general’s personal presence.

“Nowhere in the rules does it say that the Secretary General herself is needed so that we can file this impeachment complaint as endorsed by a resolution,” Co said. “Only the office is required. They refused to receive it, but nowhere in the rules or in the 1987 Constitution does it say there is a specific receiving process required.”

Casiño, for his part, said the responsibility now lies with the secretary general to perform what he described as a ministerial duty.

“We left the document with the office, and the job of the Secretary General is to pass it to the Speaker and include it in the Order of Business,” he said.

The Makabayan-backed complaint is the second impeachment complaint filed against Marcos.

According to the complainants, the case revolves around three main articles of impeachment: alleged institutionalization of systemic corruption and patronage, abuse of discretionary power over unprogrammed appropriations, and supposed direct personal involvement in kickback schemes.