The Makabayan Bloc believes there are sufficient grounds for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to face an impeachment complaint, citing alleged large-scale misuse of public funds and other accusations involving the national budget.
The statement followed disclosures by House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Edgar Erice, who said several groups had approached him to endorse a planned impeachment case against Marcos when Congress resumes session.
Makabayan Bloc lawmakers, including House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio and Representatives Renee Louise Co and Sarah Elago, said they were not aware of any active impeachment initiative against the president. However, they maintained that grounds exist that could be used as the basis for such a complaint.
According to the bloc, these grounds include what they described as widespread and systematic plunder of the national budget, the expansion of unprogrammed appropriations, and allegations of kickbacks involving Malacañang-linked infrastructure projects.
While impeachment talk involving the president has surfaced, the Makabayan Bloc is currently preparing for the filing of an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte next month.
The move comes as the one-year bar rule for impeachment complaints against Duterte is set to expire on Feb. 6, allowing a new case to be filed after that date.
House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairman Jude Acidre earlier emphasized that any impeachment attempt against a sitting president must strictly follow constitutional processes and be supported by clear, credible and solid evidence.
Acidre stressed that the House of Representatives must act with caution and a strong sense of institutional responsibility when dealing with serious issues that could affect governance and political stability.
No formal impeachment complaint has been filed against President Marcos as of this writing.
