Manila, Philippines – A 284-8-4 vote on Tuesday by the House of Representatives – more than the required one-third of the members – has put to rest a bid to oust President Bongbong Marcos.
No other impeachment complaint will be accepted until Jan. 27, 2027, the chairman of the committee on justice earlier said.
The vote upheld a recommendation by the committee on justice, contained in Committee Report 111, that junked the two impeachment complaints on lack of substance – which dictated the recital of facts and evidence – even after meeting the requirements for form.
The two suits were filed in January by a private lawyer and militant groups – both earlier endorsed by party-list lawmakers and the Makabayan bloc – on the grounds the president betrayed public trust on alleged links to a wide-scale corruption scheme used in the budget allocation for and awarding of public works contracts.
The Makabayan bloc said Tuesday’s vote was “not the end of the search for accountability.”
“The majority’s arguments for rejecting the impeachment complaint are baseless, dishonest, and designed to protect the president rather than uphold their constitutional mandate,” Makabayan lawmakers said in a joint statement.
