Philippine lawmakers weigh impeachment for President Marcos

Philippine lawmakers met on Tuesday to decide whether to advance impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is accused of betraying the public's trust, corruption and violating the constitution.



Marcos, who is midway through his six-year term and denies wrongdoing, faces two separate complaints filed by a lawyer and activists, which hurdled an initial step at the House justice committee on Monday when lawmakers said both were "sufficient in form".



The committee reconvened on Tuesday to determine whether there was "substance" to move the complaints forward. The committee's decision, regardless of which way it goes, would be put to a vote of the lower house of Congress, which is dominated by allies of the president.



If the complaints against Marcos succeed in a vote of the House, he would be the second Philippine head of state to be impeached after Joseph Estrada.



The complaints include Marcos' decision to allow his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte to be arrested and taken to The Hague to face trial at the International Criminal Court over thousands of killings during his notorious "war on drugs".



Marcos is also accused of abusing his authority in spending public funds that led to a corruption scandal over flood-control projects.