By Mikhail Flores
MANILA, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Philippine lawmakers met on Tuesday to decide whether to advance impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is accused of betraying the public’s trust, corruption and violating the constitution.
Marcos, who is midway through his six-year term and denies wrongdoing, faces two separate complaints filed by a lawyer and activists, which hurdled an initial step at the House justice committee on Monday when lawmakers said both were “sufficient in form”.
The committee reconvened on Tuesday to determine whether there was “substance” to move the complaints forward. The committee’s decision, regardless of which way it goes, would be put to a vote of the lower house of Congress, which is dominated by allies of the president.
If the complaints against Marcos succeed in a vote of the House, he would be the second Philippine head of state to be impeached after Joseph Estrada, whose 2001 trial was aborted when some prosecutors walked out.
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The complaints include Marcos’ decision to allow his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte to be arrested and taken to The Hague to face trial at the International Criminal Court over thousands of killings during his notorious “war on drugs”.
Marcos is also accused of abusing his authority in spending public funds that led to a corruption scandal over flood-control projects. His alleged drug use, which he has denied, also made him unfit to run the country, according to one of the complaints.
The office of Marcos said he respects the process.
“Even before, the president already said he did not do anything wrong, did not violate the law and did not commit an impeachable offence,” Presidential press officer Claire Castro told a briefing on Monday.
If the lower house decides to impeach Marcos, it would be sent to the Senate for trial, where its 24 members serve as jurors. Five top officials have been impeached in the Philippines and of those, only one, a former chief justice, was convicted and removed from office.
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Among the five was Marcos’ estranged Vice President Sara Duterte, whose impeachment was struck down by the Supreme Court last year. She is facing new impeachment complaints and denies wrongdoing.
Gerville Luistro, who heads the justice committee, said its members would decide whether the alleged offences Marcos was accused of were enough to impeach him.
“It’s not enough that an impeachable official committed wrongdoing. That wrongdoing must constitute an impeachable offence,” Luistro told broadcaster Teleradyo.
Luistro said if lawmakers vote in favour of advancing the complaint, Marcos would have the chance to respond to the allegations. The backing of one-third of the House is needed to impeach the president.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by Martin Petty)
