Marcos impeachment complaint a test on his grip on Congress —De Lima

The impeachment complaint filed against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will be a test oh his "grip" on legislators, House Deputy Minority Leader and ML Party-list Representative Leila de Lima said Tuesday.

"When you talk about impeachment, it's both legal and political. Minsan nga [Sometimes], it's more political than legal. Kaya lang naman it's a legal proceeding kasi may mga procedure na dapat na sundin. Pero yung political, diyan talaga. Kasi it's a test. It's a test yung how strong the President's grip is on the members of Congress," de Lima said in an online interview.

(It's only a legal proceeding because there are procedures that must be followed. But the political aspect is where it's at.)

The complaint was filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus, who said that Marcos should be impeached due to betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro earlier said the president will not intervene in the impeachment process.

De Lima pushed back on this assertion. "Kahit sabihin ng Pangulo o ng opisina ng Pangulo na hindi sila makikialam ay hindi maiiwasan na, you know, yung magiging ano diyan is, kaya pa ba na i-influence o kaya ba ng pangulo na pagalawin yung mga allies nila sa House of Representatives para i-dismiss yung impeachment complaint na yan kahit sa Justice committee level pa lang o kaya sa plenary," she said.

(Even if the President or his office says that they will not interfere, the question is will the president be able to press their allies in the House of Representatives to dismiss the impeachment complaint, at either the Justice committee level or at the plenary.)

The president's son, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st district Representative Sandro Marcos, is the chairperson of the House Committee on Rules, which refers impeachment complaints to the House Committee on Justice.

Asked if Representative Marcos will be allowed to participate in the deliberations on the impeachment complaint, de Lima replied, "Well, it's up to him. I think that would be a matter of voluntary inhibition out of delicadeza, kung siya ay papayagan na mag-participate sa committee level and even sa plenary [if he is permitted to participate at the committee level or even at the plenary]."

"I have to review the rules as to the mandatory disqualification or mandatory inhibition. I don't recall any such provision. But of course, we can say that the rules of court provisions can apply suppletorily. But I have to check that out. Kasi may grounds for mandatory inhibition or mandatory disqualification under the rules of court. And also, the matter of voluntary inhibition," she added.

But de Lima says there is no problem with the younger Marcos being the chairperson of the House Committee on Rules because the "committee is composed of many other members [and it's not just] Majority Leader Sandro Marcos."

As deputy minority leader, de Lima is an ex officio member of the House Committee on Justice. She says the committee will first determine sufficiency in form and substance of the impeachment complaint filed.

"Ito ang mga titingnan: kung ito ay papasa sa standard na 'yon of sufficiency in form and substance bago magkaroon ng evidentiary hearings. Kailangan muna kasi may ganoong determination. Kasi if at the first instance, hindi sufficient, ang finding is it's not sufficient in form, wala na. Ganundin, even if it's sufficient in form but not sufficient in substance, ganundin. Madi-dismiss na yan sa level pa lang ng Committee on Justice," she explained.

(This is what we'll look at: if it will pass the standard of sufficiency in form and substance, before there will be evidentiary hearings. There has to be that determination first. Because if it's found to be not sufficient in form, then it's done. Same if it's not sufficient in substance. It would be dismissed at the committee on Justice level.)

De Jesus denies ban trigger

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan 2nd district Representative Edgar Erice, meanwhile, called the impeachment complaint "basura."

"Yung sinampa niya na impeachment complaint ay basura. Fifteen pages na walang mga ebidensiya kundi mga news article. Sa tingin ko, hindi ito, wala ito sa porma at walang substance yung kanyang finile na impeachment complaint. Kung ako boboto sa Committee on Justice, hindi ako magdadalawang isip na i-dismiss ito," Erice said in a press conference today.

(The impeachment complaint is rubbish. Fifteen pages without evidence but news articles. In my opinion, it is not sufficient in form and has no substance. If I were to vote in the Justice committee, I would not think twice about dismissing it.)

Erice added that he did not know what de Jesus' motives were in filing the impeachment complaint.

If the complaint is initiated, no other impeachment complaint can be filed against the president within one year.

"Pag na-refer na ito sa Committee on Justice ay wala nang ibang pwedeng makapag-file ng impeachment. Sana hindi nito mapigilan," he said.

(If this is referred to the Justice committee, nobody will be able to file another impeachment complaint within one year. Hopefully this will not stop them.)

De Jesus denied he filed a weak impeachment complaint to shield the president from other complaints.

"I specifically, expressly, categorically, and absolutely deny that this is motivated just for the purpose of triggering a ban," he said in an online interview.

"I have evidence. It was attached to the complaint but it is without prejudice to further evidence that might be produced later on," he added.

When asked if the president should appear before the House Committee on Justice, de Lima replied that he should but the committee can decide to just let his counsel appear.

"Ideally, [he should attend] because he is the respondent. And the committee has the power to compel attendance of anyone, di ba?" de Lima said.

"It actually depends again on the decision of the majority of the members of the committee. They would allow anyone else to participate on behalf of the person supposed to be the subject of the impeachment complaint. So it should actually be subject to the discretion now of the committee by a majority vote," she added.

Erice, on the other hand, said, "Hindi naman maganda kung siya mismo. Kahit na representative niya basta sagutin lang yung mga tinatanong."

(It would not be good if he himself showed up. Even if his representative shows up, as long as they can answer the questions.)

"Ang issue lang sa akin, yung tungkol sa national budget ng 2023, 2024, 2025 at pinayagan niya na ito ay baguhin ng Kongreso... So dapat ipaliwanag niya talaga bakit he allowed it for three years. Bakit yung gabinete niya pinayagan ito. Yan yung malaking tanong. Kasi kung pinayagan niya ito nang walang dahilan, either kasabwat siya o napabayaan niya talaga. Which is both, which can be considered both as impeachable offense," Erice added.

(My only issue is about the 2023, 2024, and 2025 budgets that he allowed Congress to make changes to. He has to explain why he allowed it for three years. Why did his Cabinet allow it. That is a big question. Because if he permitted it without a reason, either he is complicit or negligent.) — BM, GMA Integrated News