(UPDATE) ILOCOS Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos recused himself Monday from proceedings of the House Committee on Rules in connection with the impeachment complaints against his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Two impeachment complaints have been filed at the House of Representatives against the president.
“While I am fully aware that the Rules of the House do not require my inhibition, and while I remain confident in the independence and professionalism of my colleagues, I recognize that leadership sometimes calls for restraint rather than participation. In moments that test institutions, perception matters as much as procedure,” said the younger Marcos, who leads the rules committee as chairman because he is the House majority leader.
He said he decided to recuse himself “from all discussions, deliberations, and proceedings of the House Committee on Rules insofar as” the complaints against the president were concerned.
“This decision is guided not by legal compulsion, but by a higher obligation — to preserve the integrity of the House of Representatives, to protect the credibility of its processes, and to uphold the public’s trust in our constitutional system,” he said.
Last week, an impeachment complaint against the president was filed at the House by lawyer Andre de Jesus and endorsed by House Deputy Minority Leader and Pusong Pinoy Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay.
On Monday morning, an impeachment complaint was filed against Marcos by private persons. It 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.
“The House must be allowed to discharge its constitutional duties without any shadow of personal interest, real or imagined. My recusal ensures that no question may be raised about the fairness, objectivity, or legitimacy of the process, and that the focus remains where it properly belongs — on the Constitution, the facts, and the rule of law,” Marcos said.
“I take this step not as a retreat from responsibility, but as an affirmation of it. Public office is a trust, and that trust is strengthened when those who hold power are willing to step aside to protect the institution they serve,” he said.
Marcos added that he remained committed to his duties as the House’s majority leader in other matters.
He was fully confident “that the House will act with independence, sobriety, and fidelity to the Constitution in addressing this issue.” “Our democracy is strongest when institutions are bigger than personalities, and when public servants choose principle over proximity,” he said.
The impeachment complaint filed on Monday was for alleged betrayal of public trust.
The complainants alleged that the president “betrayed public trust by institutionalizing a systematic scheme of corruption through the adoption and implementation of the so-called ‘Baselined-Balanced-Managed Parametric Formula’ (BBM Parametric Formula) as the official allocation mechanism for flood control and other infrastructure projects.” The complainants included, among others, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan President Renato Reyes Jr. as well as former lawmakers Liza Maza, Teodoro Casiño, and Neri Colmenares.
Tinio said they submitted the complaint to House Secretary General Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil.
Tinio, a House deputy minority leader, later in the day said, “We were informed by the speaker himself this afternoon that he has received our complaint from the secretary general and that he has asked that it be included in the Order of Business.” The office of the House secretary general transmitted the de Jesus impeachment complaint to Speaker Faustino Dy III’s office on Jan. 20, 2026.
Among the allegations in the impeachment complaint filed on Jan. 19, 2026 was that the chief executive violated the 1987 Constitution and betrayed public trust “by surrendering” former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In March 2025, Duterte was brought to the Netherlands after his arrest based on a warrant from the Hague-based ICC, which had investigated him in connection with the drug war that was implemented during his presidency.
