PBBM impeachment raps, 284 votes seal it

The overwhelming 284 votes from members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday affirmed that the Committee on Justice was right in junking the two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., as it showed decisive backing of the panel’s finding the cases were insufficient in substance and unworthy of proceeding further.

The sheer margin, Justice Committee Chairperson Jerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro of Batangas said went beyond the constitutional one-third threshold and spoke volumes about the correctness of the panel’s judgment.

Luistro said with the 284-vote affirmation, the House sent a clear signal that the justice panel’s action was correct — and that impeachment, as lawmakers stressed, must remain a constitutional safeguard, not a tool for political theater.

“What happened it is not only one-third, as it reached 284. Even me was surprised with the 284 votes. That is overwhelming and it only shows, humbly speaking, na tama ang naging judgment ng mga justice members,” Luistro said.

Voting 284-8 with four abstentions, the House adopted the justice panel’s recommendation dismissing the complaints for lack of substance.

The House Plenary adopted Committee Report No. 111, submitted by the Committee on Justice regarding House Resolution (HR) No. 746, entitled: Resolution Dismissing the complaints for impeachment filed by Atty. Andre R. De Jesus and Liza Maza, Teodoro A. Casiño, Renato Reyes, Jr., Atty. Neri Colmenares, et al. against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.

The vote also triggered the one-year constitutional bar on filing or receiving another impeachment complaint against the President, Luistro said.

“Na-initiate po itong impeachment complaint against the President last 26 January 2026… following the ruling in Francisco v. House of Representatives, it is the referral to the Justice Committee which triggers the running of the one-year prohibition period,” Luistro said, adding that impeachment complaints against the President are barred until 26 Jan. 2027.

Asked whether the same complainants could refile next year with the same allegations, Luistro said it could be possible because the panel did not reach the merits.

“I am inclined to believe na puwede, kasi wala naman res judicata… hindi naman napag-usapan in full length ang substance…” she said, while stressing that any future filing must cure the deficiencies flagged by the committee, including lack of personal knowledge, absence of authentic records, failure to establish factual nexus or connections, and lack of personal participation of the impeachable official.