Voting 39-4 with no abstentions, the House Committee on Justice on Monday adopted its committee report and accompanying resolution dismissing the two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for lack of substance.

“With 39 votes in favor of the motion, 4 votes against the motion, with zero abstentions, noting as well the manifestation of the Honorable Leila De Lima, the Chair announces the approval of the motion adopting the committee report as well as its accompanying resolution. So, ruled,” House Committee on Justice Chair Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro of Batangas told the panel members.

Before Luistro called for the vote, she told the committee members that by “practice in the committee, it's either we vote yes or no. Nevertheless, the members of the Justice Committee are given the opportunity to manifest their record of vote in order to explain the partial voting of a member in case there is one.”

“Of course, we've seen during our voting on the sufficiency in substance, the partial or indifferent position of some members with respect to de Jesus on one hand and Maza et al. on the other hand. So, to reiterate, per practice in the Justice Committee, it's either we vote yes or no, and then we give opportunity to the individual member to explain their record of vote in case of partial voting,” Luistro said.

On the other hand, House Deputy Minority Leader Leila De Lima, of the Mamamayang Liberal Party-list, said she agreed with the committee’s finding that the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus was insufficient in substance, but does not agree with the panel that the petition lodged by 36 filers led by former Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza was lacking in substance.

The former senator cast a “concur and dissent vote,” which Luistro said was noted.

The House Committee on Justice last Feb. 4 voted to dismiss the two impeachment complaints filed against President Marcos for alleged violations of the Constitution.

The verdict was reached after three days of marathon deliberations, with the committee stating the complaints were “insufficient in substance.”

De Jesus filed the first complaint, while the second was lodged by the Makabayan bloc led by former Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza.

The committee voted 42-1 with three abstentions to approve a motion declaring the De Jesus complaint insufficient in substance.

Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice then moved that the panel find the Makabayan complaint sufficient in substance.

The committee defeated the Erice proposal by a vote of 7 in favor of the motion against 39, with zero abstentions.