Marcos impeachment: First complaint declared insufficient in substance

The first impeachment complaint against Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been declared insufficient in substance by the House justice committee.



During the panel’s Wednesday hearing, 42 members voted to dismiss the complaint filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus and endorsed by Pusong Pinoy party-list Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay, as several lawmakers said the charges were based on speculation.



Only one lawmaker — Nisay — found the complaint sufficient in substance. The three Makabayan bloc members abstained from voting.



Voting on the sufficiency of the first impeachment complaint was scheduled for Tuesday, but committee chairperson and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro gave members an extra day to reflect on the discussions before deliberation.



On Tuesday morning, several lawmakers assailed the first complaint against Marcos, citing “defects” in the document, as de Jesus seeks to remove the President over alleged drug use and corruption.



They noted that the accusations relied heavily on media reports and “hearsay,” making the complaint “insufficient in substance” upon preliminary evaluation.