MANILA — The House of Representatives’ Committee on Justice has formally dismissed two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

On Monday, the committee presented its report during a hearing, which led to a vote. Thirty-nine members approved the dismissal, while four opposed it.

The first complaint, filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus on January 19, accused the president of corruption, drug use, and other alleged misconduct. Lawmakers criticized the submission for relying heavily on speculation, media reports, and hearsay. Only Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay of the Pusong Pinoy party-list voted that the complaint was sufficient in substance.

The second complaint, lodged by the Makabayan bloc on January 22, cited three grounds: the alleged institutionalization of corruption through the “BBM Parametric Formula,” abuse of discretionary powers in the allocation of unprogrammed appropriations, and alleged direct involvement in budgetary insertions and kickback schemes.

The bloc also said that the BBM Parametric Formula “provided the justification for Presidential and Congressional infrastructure project allocations in the national budget” and was supposedly the “basis for kickbacks or commitments.”

While the complaint was initially deemed sufficient in form, 39 members of the committee later declared it insufficient in substance, with seven voting for sufficiency.

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said claims that Marcos used illegal drugs were “hearsay,” while allegations that he created the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to protect corrupt allies did not qualify as impeachable offenses. Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. added that although the ICI lacked teeth, its creation alone wasn’t grounds for removal.

Meanwhile, San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora questioned whether policy measures such as the BBM Parametric Formula, even if imperfect, could be considered impeachable acts.

📷 Presidential Communications Office