The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday concluded its deliberations on the impeachment petitions accusing President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for corruption, public dishonesty and violation of the Constitution after finding these allegations insufficient.
On its third day of hearing, the committee voted to cancel the dismissal of the songs as 42 members agreed that the first complaint was insufficient, and only seven voted that the second complaint was sufficient for 39 lawyers. This prevents the proceedings from proceeding to a full hearing involving the President, the complainants and their witnesses.
“It is clear, the committee seems to be really determined to kill the complaints at this time only,” Party List Lawyer Antonio L. Tinio, who received one of the complaints about Mr. Marcos, told the media after the vote in Filipino. “The grounds for impeaching him are sufficient.”
Mr. Marcos is still facing the risk of being impeached even though the committee dismissed the charges, as its results still have to go to the House of Commons for further discussion. The chances remain low, however, as it will take 106 votes, or a third of the 318-member chamber, to overturn the council’s decision and send the case to the Senate for a hearing.
“To be clear, the process is not complete,” said Batangas Rep. Gerville R. Luistro, who heads the House Judiciary Committee, in a separate briefing after the hearing. “Until the consultation meeting decides on the outcome of the impeachment of the President, it is not completely over.”
He said the council will meet on Monday next week to finalize the committee’s report detailing the decision that led to a large vote against the removal of Mr. Marcos instead.
“We intend to take it to court immediately, but it depends on when it will be dealt with,” said Ms. Luistro, adding that the House Judiciary Committee will draft articles of impeachment against Mr.
Lawmakers argue that the charges against Mr. Marcos was innocent under the Constitution.
“The allegations are not true allegations,” San Juan Mayor Ysabel Maria J. Zamora told the panel. “A lot of what has been written is just guesswork or hearsay speculation … just to link the President to the charges.”
The complaints tried to prove that Mr. Marcos benefited from infrastructure projects by receiving payment, and institutionalized corruption through the congressional district budget allocation formula.
The impeachment charges include Mr. Marcos’ decision to allow his predecessor, Rodrigo R. Duterte, to be arrested and taken to The Hague to stand trial at the International Court of Justice over alleged drug use by the President, disqualifying him from being a top official.
Together, the ouster bids accused Mr. Marcos for impeachment, violation of the constitution and betrayal of public trust – three of the five grounds for impeachment under the 1987 Constitution, along with bribery and other high-profile crimes.
NO RAILWAY DISCHARGE
Mrs. Zamora defended the House Judiciary Committee against criticism that lawyers were throwing out the panel’s actions to stop its hearings on complaints.
“We have made every case in both of these appeals,” he said at a press conference after the vote. “We don’t think there was a railroad to the trial.”
Impeachment petitioner Neri J. Colmenares said her party will investigate whether the House Judiciary Committee has committed any violation of House rules or the Constitution and will challenge the panel’s decision if it finds it.
“It will be up to our lawyers if they will see the basis to oppose their decision,” he said in an interview in Filipino.
Mrs. Luistro said that they did not break any law when they condemned Mr. Marcos.
“Absolutely, all the proceedings of the Judiciary committee are in line with the Constitution and the impeachment laws,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos accepted the panel’s decision regarding the complaints against him, saying that the lawyers followed the proper procedures and found that the allegations were baseless.
Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the legislators declared that the complaints were “insufficient in form and substance,” which strengthens the confidence of the President that he did not commit a crime.
“We are happy that the plan was followed and that the lawyers saw the truth,” he told reporters in Filipino.
Mr. Marcos was informed of the House’s decision after the procedure, as he attended a private meeting and another one.
Addressing the criticism that Mr. Marcos’ confidence is due to the dominance of his allies in the House – including the leadership of the chamber – Ms. Castro rejected that, noting that even lawyers and constitutional experts who are supporters of the administration described the complaints as weak.
“Since the issue has been resolved for now, the President’s message is simple: let’s move forward,” he said. “He is focused on strengthening the economy and improving the lives of the Filipino people.” – Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio with Chloe Mari A. Hufana
