The Makabayan bloc and the complainants behind the second impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned against further obstruction as they vowed to return to the House of Representatives on Monday, 26 January, to ensure the complaint is formally received by Cheloy Garafil and included in the Order of Business during the afternoon session.
"We are returning on Monday to ensure there are no more excuses. Bumalik na ang Secretary General mula sa Taiwan, kaya wala nang dahilan para hindi tanggapin ang complaint," Antonio Tinio said.
Tinio said they are hoping there will be no further delays in accepting the complaint, warning against continued obstruction of accountability efforts.
The Makabayan Coalition earlier declared that the impeachment complaint against Marcos is deemed filed despite Garafil’s absence, as she was in Taipei receiving an award from Taiwan’s foreign ministry when complainants attempted to submit the complaint last Thursday.
Following their visit to the Office of the Secretary General, complainants including Bagong Alyansang Makabayan President Renato Reyes, Makabayan Coalition President Liza Maza, former Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Teddy Casiño, and Kabataan party-list Representative Renee Co asserted that all constitutional requirements for filing the complaint have been met.
"It is deemed served. The requirements are a verified complaint from citizens and an endorsement—we have fulfilled that," Colmenares said.
Colmenares said there is no provision in the 1987 Constitution requiring impeachment complaints to be personally received by the secretary general, noting that what is required is submission to the Office of the Secretary General.
He added that Article XI, Section 3 does not explicitly require personal receipt by the secretary general. "The word 'secretary general' was not mentioned in the Constitution. It was only the House that required the need to submit it to the Secretary General, and we followed that. What was stated was the Office of the Secretary General, so we followed that."
Meanwhile, Co, one of the three endorsers of the complaint along with Tinio and Gabriela Women's Party Representative Sarah Jane Elago, stressed that House rules contain no requirement for personal receipt by the secretary general.
"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. "It is only the office that is needed, so now they refused to receive it. But nowhere in the rules or in the 1987 Constitution does it say that there is a receiving process needed."
Casiño said the burden now rests on the secretary general to perform her ministerial duty.
"We left the document to the office and the job of the Secretary General is to pass ito Speaker Dy and include it in the order of business," he said.
The Makabayan impeachment complaint is the second filed against Marcos.
The complaint cites three articles of impeachment: institutionalizing systemic corruption and patronage, abuse of discretionary power over unprogrammed appropriations, and alleged direct personal involvement in kickback schemes.