Lawyer files impeachment complaint against Philippine President Marcos

MANILA: A lawyer filed an impeachment complaint against Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday, accusing him of betraying public trust by allowing his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte to be arrested and taken to The Hague to face trial.

The complaint, filed by Andre De Jesus, described the move against Duterte as an act of “kidnapping,” echoing the narrative of the former president’s family.

Duterte, president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested and taken to the International Criminal Court in the Hague in March over the thousands of killings that took place during his controversial war on drugs.

The complaint also accuses Marcos of constitutional violations over budget irregularities, failing to act against alleged graft involving flood control projects, and failing to answer allegations of drug use that have raised questions about his fitness to govern.

“We feel that this avenue would enable not just myself as complainant … but the Filipino people to thrash out all these matters which are being raised and are not answered at all by the president and his cabinet and his officers,” De Jesus told reporters in comments posted on X by DZRH radio.

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Marcos’ office said it respects this democratic process and would “trust that Congress, as a co-equal branch of government, will discharge its duties with honesty, integrity, and fidelity to the rule of law.”

“While these processes take their course, the President will continue to govern, ensuring that public services remain uninterrupted and that the work of government stays focused on improving the lives of our people,” the presidential communications office said in a statement.

The filing comes nearly a year after the lower house impeached Sara Duterte, Marcos’ estranged Vice President and the daughter of his predecessor.

The impeachment was later struck down by the Supreme Court for breaching the Constitution’s one-year bar rule.

Although the lower house of Congress is no longer led by Marcos’ cousin, Martin Romualdez, who resigned as House Speaker after being linked to the flood control corruption scandal, it remains dominated by the president’s allies, raising doubts about whether the complaint against him can gain traction.

Marcos, elected in 2022, is serving a single six-year term and is barred by the Constitution from seeking re-election in 2028, leaving him with about two years remaining in office.

His vice president Sara Duterte is widely viewed as a strong contender for the 2028 presidential race.