Marcos survives conviction as the House supports the impeachment by the committee
By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, A reporter
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. survived impeachment on Tuesday after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported the withdrawal of complaints against the congressional body, delivering a political breakthrough amid allegations of corruption related to multibillion-peso flood control projects.
A total of 284 lawmakers voted in favor of the Judiciary committee’s motion to dismiss the charges. Eight opposed the move, and four bowed out.
The vote ended a short-lived attempt to oust Mr Marcos, whose administration has faced criticism over scandals that have weighed on economic growth and investor confidence.
“Complaints that do not meet the constitutional basis must be dismissed, not made for political reasons,” said Batangas lawyer Gerville R. Luistro, who heads the committee, told the forum before the vote. “To do otherwise is to degrade impeachment from a constitutional protection into a weapon of abuse.”
Dismissed complaints Mr. Marcos benefited from questionable government contracts linked to flawed infrastructure projects, receiving payoffs and institutionalized corruption through the congressional district budget allocation formula.
Additional allegations include his alleged involvement in authorizing the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte for trial at the International Court of Justice and the President’s drug use claims.
“These complaints have failed to establish any factual connection between the President and any innocent crime,” said Ms. Luistro. He pointed out that the forms tried to reverse policy disagreements and general administrative actions such as public dishonesty without proving bad faith or malice.
Opposition lawyers criticized the decision. “There was strong evidence that the President was aware of the corruption in the flood control projects, participated directly in them and received payments,” said Deputy House Member Leader Antonio L. Tinio, urging the House to consider the complaints on their merits.
Analysts say the result is highly expected given the way the House is structured. “It’s obviously a numbers game,” said Dennis C. Coronacion, chairman of the Department of Political Science at the University of Santo Tomas, in a Facebook Messenger interview.
“Regardless of the reasons given by members of the House Judiciary Committee, at the end of the day, it’s still about who remains loyal to the administration.”
The dissolution of the committee follows previous votes that stopped appeals at the executive level. Critics say the committee issued a decision prematurely without allowing a full debate on the allegations, and protecting the President from scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the House presented the third impeachment claim against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio at the Speaker’s office on Tuesday. The document, filed the previous day, accuses Ms. Duterte of misusing P612.5 million of secret and intelligence funds allocated to her office and the Department of Education.
The appeal, approved by Rep. Leila M. de Lima of the Party’s list, allegations of graft, corruption and extortion, suing for violation of the Constitution and public trust.
A referral to the House Judiciary Committee formally begins the impeachment process, barring further complaints against the Vice President for one year.
Analysts say the case could deepen political fault lines between Marcos’ allies and Ms. Duterte, who could be a presidential contender in 2028.
The result emphasizes the strengthening of the power of law by the partners of Mr. Marcos while finally looking into the high-profile corruption allegations that continue to draw public attention.
Critics warn that the handling of the cases could affect perceptions of accountability and governance as the administration approaches mid-year policy priorities.
