MANILA, Philippines — The legal offensive against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has encountered a major procedural hurdle, as two new impeachment complaints filed on Thursday, January 22, were reportedly stalled at the House of Representatives.
The complaints—one from the militant coalition Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and another from a separate civic group—were intended to provide a more “substantial” challenge to the President following what critics called a “weak” initial complaint filed last week.
The One-Year Rule The primary “snag” involves the one-year ban on impeachment proceedings. Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, no impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.
- The First Mover: A complaint filed last week by lawyer Andre de Jesus has already been transmitted to the House Committee on Rules and the Speaker’s office.
- The Conflict: If the House Committee on Justice officially “initiates” the De Jesus complaint (the first mode of initiation), it would effectively bar the more detailed complaints from Bayan and other groups from being considered until January 2027.
Allegations of a “Shield” Complaint Bayan president Renato Reyes Jr. and members of the Makabayan bloc have raised concerns that the first complaint might be a “sham” or a “Trojan horse” designed specifically to trigger the one-year ban. They argue that the De Jesus complaint lacks the depth and evidence contained in their own 50-page filing, which focuses on the “BBM Parametric Formula”—an alleged multibillion-peso pork barrel scheme in the DPWH budget.
Administrative Delays Adding to the tension, House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil was reportedly on a “pre-scheduled trip” on Thursday, which delayed the formal receipt and processing of the new filings. However, House Assistant Majority Leader Raul Angelo “Jil” Adiong assured the public on Friday that the official’s absence was not a deliberate attempt to sabotage the complaints and would not affect the legal timeline.
The Road Ahead The House Committee on Justice is expected to meet next week to determine which complaint, if any, is “sufficient in form and substance.” If the committee chooses to prioritize the first complaint filed, the more detailed allegations regarding budget corruption and betrayal of public trust found in the Bayan rap may never reach the trial stage this year.
As of Friday morning, January 23, the Palace has remained relatively quiet on the procedural tug-of-war, with officials stating that the President is “advised to rest” following a brief hospitalization for a “stable” medical condition.