(UPDATE) THE House Committee on Justice is set to vote on Wednesday on whether the impeachment complaints filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are sufficient in substance.
On Tuesday, the committee said the complaint filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus and endorsed by House Deputy Minority Leader and Pusong Pinoy Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay was sufficient in form.
“We suspended the voting on the sufficiency of substance because we wanted to give time to the Justice members to think them over, all the discussions that we had today before they vote tomorrow afternoon,” Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, the committee chairman, said in a press conference.
Luistro said the deliberation on the sufficiency in substance of the second complaint was also suspended because Tuesday’s deliberations had already been quite exhaustive. She said they wanted the lawmakers to have “a fresh mind when they listen to the manifestation... of the endorsers” for the second complaint.
“I think it’s a bit premature to state that House members” already have their minds made up on how to vote, said Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon.
“So the question on the matter will be decided not today (Tuesday) but tomorrow (Wednesday) when the question is asked on whether or not they would vote on the sufficiency in substance of that particular complaint,” said Ridon in Filipino and English.
He said “they manifested their views but as to what their votes will be, [it] will be determined tomorrow. And I don’t think that should count as an indication on how they will actually vote tomorrow.” The committee is expected to vote on the sufficiency in substance of the two complaints after its discussion on the sufficiency in form of the impeachment complaint filed last Jan. 26 by private persons including, among others, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan President Renato Reyes Jr. as well as former lawmakers Liza Maza, Teodoro Casiño, and Neri Colmenares. This complaint was endorsed by the three-member Makabayan bloc of lawmakers composed of Kabataan Rep. Renee Co, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago, and ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio.
Luistro said the committee would conduct the vote for the de Jesus complaint first, and then the Maza et al. complaint.
“Let us be mindful about the significance of this vote. If it is sufficient in substance, considering that it has been declared already as sufficient in form — both complaints — then we will be proceeding to step three already,” she said.
The third step is where the committee issues a notice to the respondent to answer — to which the complainant can reply should they want to and receive evidence.
“But if the decision of the Justice members is ‘insufficient in substance,’ that will be tantamount to dismissal of the impeachment complaint,” she said.
Luistro said that if one of the two impeachment complaints is declared insufficient in substance and the other is declared sufficient in substance, “we will be proceeding to the issuance of notice to require an answer from the respondent, meaning, the impeachment proceeding will continue.” She said that if the committee would not have enough time on Wednesday for the deliberation on the sufficiency in substance of the Maza et al. complaint, it can schedule further meetings.
On Monday, voting 46-1 with one other lawmaker abstaining, the committee found the impeachment complaint filed Jan. 19 sufficient in form. The Maza et al. complaint was found sufficient in form with a vote of 35-9 with one other lawmaker abstaining.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he would respect and follow the process on the impeachment complaints filed against him as the House Committee on Justice deliberates on the case.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the impeachment complaints were discussed with the president in a meeting on Tuesday.
“He (Marcos) just said that there is a process and whatever process it is, he will respect it,” Castro said during a press conference.
The Palace official, however, did not say what the plan of the president’s legal team was.
