‘No reason yet’ to impeach Marcos, say House minority members
There’s “no compelling reason”—at least for now—to initiate an impeachment complaint against President Marcos based only on resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co’s allegations that he ordered questionable insertions worth some P100 billion in the 2025 national budget, two members of the House minority bloc said on Wednesday.
Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña and Kamanggagawa Rep. Eli San Fernando said that while they took Co’s allegations seriously, it would be difficult to pursue impeachment proceedings against the President based only on the three-part video Co released on social media over the weekend.
In the video, Co accused Mr. Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez of receiving P56 billion in kickbacks from P100 billion worth of insertions in the 2025 General Appropriations Act. The alleged insertions, Co said, were done at the bicameral conference on the budget bill and facilitated by then Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary Adrian Bersamin.
“The problem is that everything he said has no legal weight, it’s just on social media,” San Fernando said in a press conference. “That’s why we’re telling the former representative to come home, and if he was truly serious about his allegations, then submit them under oath.”
But both lawmakers said Mr. Marcos could not simply shrug off the allegations since several high-ranking Malacañang and Cabinet officials were being implicated.
All investigations into anomalous government projects must extend to all levels of government even if it reaches Malacañang, they stressed.
For Cendaña, who endorsed the first of three impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte last year over her alleged misuse of confidential funds, there is “no compelling reason yet” to take the same steps against the President.
Any impeachment complaint against him “must be founded on facts and evidence,” Cendaña said.
The difference
He noted that the complaint against Duterte that was filed in December 2024 was based on “very strong and serious evidence.”
Cendaña was referring to the inquiry conducted by the House committee on good government during the 19th Congress, which he said found a pattern of irregularities in how she used her confidential funds as Vice President and concurrently as education secretary, the latter position she held from 2022 to 2024.
These included the use of possible “ghost’’ or bogus beneficiaries like “Mary Grace Piattos” and over a thousand other recipients who signed acknowledgment receipts for the disbursement of confidential funds.
“We will follow where the evidence is. But until then, there remains no compelling reason, because we think any impeachment complaint must be founded on facts and evidence,” Cendaña said.
Any impeachment complaint against the President at this point may not prosper “because it’s a very political process here in the House of Representatives,” San Fernando said.
“In any case, I don’t think a change in leadership is what the public wants, what they want is accountability, what they want are charges filed, laws that would be useful for them,” he said.
LCP statement
Also on Wednesday, the League of Cities of the Philippines, composed of 149 mayors nationwide, expressed their continuing support for President Marcos amidst calls for him to resign, the latest coming from a group that held a two-day rally earlier this week.
“The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) reiterates its full support for the leadership of His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., being the duly constitutionally elected President of the Republic of the Philippines,” the group said in a statement.
“We stand behind his commitment to further empower LGUs in advancing public infrastructure, education, and health services, while upholding transparency and accountability in public governance,” it added.
The United People’s Initiative, a group that included retired military generals, called for the President’s resignation following Co’s allegations, in a rally held on Sunday and Monday at the People Power monument in Quezon City.
Adding fuel later to the clamor was the speech given on Monday night by the President’s sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, at another rally, held by the Iglesia Ni Kristo in Manila, where she spoke openly of her brother’s alleged drug use.
Malacañang press officer Claire Castro earlier maintained that resignation was “not an option” for the President as “(he) is still working and continues to work for the country. “ —WITH A REPORT FROM KEITH CLORES
