House justice committee dismisses impeach complaints vs Marcos

THE House Committee on Justice has voted to dismiss two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., citing a lack of substance in both cases. The decision was made on Monday with a vote of 39-4, and no abstentions.

Committee Chair Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro of Batangas emphasized the committee’s practice of voting “yes” or “no,” while allowing members to explain their votes, especially in cases of partial agreement or disagreement.

Deputy Minority Leader Leila De Lima, representing the Mamamayang Liberal Party-list, expressed a “concur and dissent vote.” She agreed with dismissing the complaint filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus but disagreed with dismissing the petition led by former Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza.

The committee had previously determined that both complaints were “insufficient in substance” after three days of deliberations. The first complaint, filed by de Jesus, was dismissed with a 42-1 vote and three abstentions. A motion to find the Makabayan bloc’s complaint sufficient in substance, proposed by Deputy Minority Leader Edgar Erice, was defeated by a vote of 7-39, with no abstentions.