A third impeachment complaint filed against President Bongbong Marcos failed to move forward on Thursday after it was not accepted by the House of Representatives.
The group of former lawmakers and government officials attempting to file the complaint said the Office of the Secretary General of the House did not receive the documents because Secretary General Cheloy Garafil was not present at the time of filing.
Among the complainants were former AnaKalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor, Jacinto Paras, Manuelito Luna, and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.
The complaint cited several grounds for impeachment, including culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
According to the complainants, the allegations stemmed from the President’s decision not to veto unprogrammed appropriations in the national budget, the implementation of the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program, the surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court, and the alleged approval of the importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar without clearance from the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
Defensor said the Office of the Secretary General violated House rules and the Constitution by refusing to accept the complaint. He argued that impeachment proceedings may only be initiated by the House as an institution.
He added that House rules impose a ministerial duty on the secretary general to accept and record impeachment complaints, stressing that the office has no discretion to block, delay, or subject filings to screening.
The complainants declined to name the members of Congress who would endorse the impeachment complaint, saying these would be announced at the proper time.
