The House Committee on Justice on Monday cleared two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as sufficient in form, setting the stage for a politically charged fight over alleged budget abuses, corruption, and the so-called “BBM Parametric Formula” used in infrastructure fund allocations.

The panel tackled the complaints one by one, beginning with a petition filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez moved to declare it sufficient in form, but Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. objected, saying he wanted the explanation on record before agreeing. This prompted committee chair and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro to call for a division of the House.

In the end, 46 committee members voted in favor of the motion, with Abante voting against it and one member abstaining.

The second complaint, filed by the Makabayan bloc, also faced questions. Rodriguez raised concerns about whether the copy he received had been notarized, but Luistro said the petition had already been checked and found compliant. When the vote was taken, 35 lawmakers voted to affirm the Makabayan complaint, nine opposed it, and one abstained.

A finding of sufficiency in form simply means the complaints meet technical filing requirements, such as proper endorsements and signatures. The committee’s next task is to determine sufficiency in substance — whether the allegations, if proven, could amount to impeachable offenses.

The De Jesus complaint, filed on 19 January and endorsed by Pusong Pinoy Partylist Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay, accuses Marcos of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust. Among its claims are allegations tied to the surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court, the President’s failure to veto allegedly unconstitutional budget provisions, supposed kickbacks from infrastructure projects, and the creation of bodies allegedly meant to shield allies from scrutiny.

Several lawmakers, however, have been openly dismissive of the complaint. Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said it could “easily be dismissed” for lack of form and substance, arguing that only the issue of unprogrammed appropriations and their link to alleged infrastructure corruption deserves serious examination.

That criticism partly pushed the Makabayan bloc to file a separate, more focused impeachment case centered on budget allocation practices at the Department of Public Works and Highways. Their complaint zeroes in on the “BBM Parametric Formula,” a DPWH policy described in internal documents as “Baselined-Balanced-Managed” — a set of initials that also happens to match the President’s nickname.

Makabayan lawmakers argue the formula was used to justify how infrastructure funds were allocated to congressional districts and partylist groups, effectively institutionalizing a new pork barrel system. They claim it provided the framework for “allocable” funds that later became the basis for kickbacks and flood-control insertions, while keeping final control in the hands of the executive.

In their filing, Makabayan leaders cite investigative reports, DPWH testimony, public videos and Senate statements suggesting that major budget insertions were cleared only after meetings with the President. Because the formula bears Marcos’ initials and was adopted early in his term, they argue he cannot credibly claim ignorance of how it was used.

Bad for economy

Malacañang on Monday reiterated that the filing of impeachment complaints is not beneficial for the country or the economy.

“I already said it earlier: filing an impeachment complaint against the President affects not just him, but the entire nation and economy,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

She stressed that Marcos Jr. is not worried for himself, as he has committed no impeachable offenses.

“The President is concerned about the impact on the economy, not himself,” Castro said.

Still, she added, the Chief Executive respects the process. “The President remains confident,” she concluded.

Malacañang dismissed the complaints as baseless and politically motivated. 

Administration allies in the House echoed that view, saying much of the De Jesus complaint is speculative and stressing that Makabayan still has to prove the alleged budget formula directly benefited the President or amounted to a deliberate betrayal of public trust.

With both complaints now deemed sufficient in form, the Justice Committee is expected to schedule hearings to determine whether they are sufficient in substance. If at least one-third of all House members eventually sign on, the complaint would automatically be transmitted to the Senate for trial.

The twin filings also trigger the Constitution’s one-year bar on new impeachment complaints against Marcos, meaning no fresh case can be initiated until the current proceedings are resolved.

At its core, the developing case shapes up as a major test of the President’s governance narrative — pitting a broadly worded complaint many see as weak against a sharper challenge focused squarely on the mechanics of budget power and infrastructure spending.