Marcos survives impeachment as House backs dismissal by committee

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. survived impeachment on Tuesday after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported a congressional body’s dismissal of complaints against him, delivering a political win amid allegations of corruption linked to multibillion-peso flood control projects.

A total of 284 lawmakers voted to uphold the Justice committee’s recommendation to dismiss the cases. Eight opposed the move, while four abstained.

The vote ended the short-lived effort to oust Mr. Marcos, whose administration has faced criticism for scandals that weighed on economic growth and investor confidence.

“Complaints that are fundamentally insufficient in substance must be dismissed, not indulged for the sake of political theater,” Batangas Rep. Gerville R. Luistro, who heads the committee, told the floor before the vote. “To do otherwise is to degrade impeachment from a constitutional safeguard into a weapon of harassment.”

The dismissed complaints alleged that Mr. Marcos had benefited from questionable government contracts linked to defective infrastructure projects, receiving kickbacks and institutionalized corruption through a budget allocation formula for congressional districts.

Additional accusations included his alleged involvement in authorizing the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte for proceedings at the International Criminal Court and claims of the President’s alleged drug use.

“These complaints failed to establish a factual nexus between the President and any impeachable offense,” Ms. Luistro said. She argued the filings had tried to recast policy disagreements and routine executive actions as betrayal of public trust without proving bad faith or malice.

Opposition lawmakers criticized the decision. “There was strong evidence that the President was aware of corruption in flood control projects, directly participated in it and received kickbacks,” House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio L. Tinio said, urging the House to consider the complaints on their merits.

Analysts said the outcome was widely expected given the composition of the House. “It’s obviously a numbers game,” Dennis C. Coronacion, chairman of the University of Santo Tomas Political Science Department, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“No matter what justifications were given by the members of the House Committee on Justice, at the end of the day, it’s still about who remains loyal to the administration.”

The committee dismissal followed earlier votes that stalled the complaints at the panel level. Critics argued the committee had ruled prematurely without allowing full debate on the allegations, effectively shielding the President from scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the House Secretary-General transmitted a third impeachment complaint against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio to the Speaker’s office on Tuesday. The filing, lodged a day earlier, accuses Ms. Duterte of misusing P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds allocated to her office and the Department of Education.

The complaint, endorsed by Party-list Rep. Leila M. de Lima, alleges graft, corruption and plunder, claiming violations of the Constitution and public trust.

Referral to the House Justice Committee formally triggers the impeachment process, which bars further complaints against the Vice-President for one year.

Analysts said the case could deepen political fault lines between allies of Mr. Marcos and Ms. Duterte, a potential 2028 presidential contender.

The outcome underscores the consolidation of legislative power by Mr. Marcos’ allies while keeping the spotlight on high-profile corruption allegations that continue to attract public attention.

Critics warn that the handling of these cases may influence perceptions of accountability and governance as the administration approaches midterm policy priorities.