PRESIDENT MARCOS FACES 2 MORE IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINTS

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is facing two more impeach complaints.

Two groups on Thursday attempted to separately file the second and third impeachment complaints against President Marcos, accusing the Chief Executive of  benefiting from bogus flood control projects.

However, the complaints hit a snag as House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil was not around to receive it.

Earlier in the day, members of progressive and civil society groups went to the office of the House Secretary General to file the second impeachment complaint accusing Marcos of betrayal of public trust.

The complaint was endorsed by congressmen from the Makabayan bloc.

According to complainants attorney Neri Colmenares and Teddy Casiño, they were informed by the Executive Director of the House Secretary General’s Office that he had no authority to receive the complaint.

They left a copy of the complaint in Garafil’s office, stressing that as far as they were concerned, it was considered “filed”. 

“Para sa amin, that impeachment complaint is deemed filed… Kami ang sumunod sa Rules of the House, at kung hindi susundin ng House ang sarili nilang Rules, hindi dapat burden ‘yan sa mga impeachment complainant,” Colmenares said. 

Complainants and endorsers of the second impeachment complaint also went to the Office of House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III to call on him to ensure that their complaint would be included in the lower chamber’s order of business.

Former congressmen Michael Defensor and Jacinto Paras, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, and Manuelito delos Reyes Luna also filed an impeachment complaint against President Marcos accusing him of alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes. 

Defensor said three congressmen agreed to endorse their complaint, but refused to name them.

The complaint also hit a snag as Garafil was not physically present to receive it.

A press release issued Thursday morning said Garafil went to Taiwan to receive the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to be conferred by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei on Friday.

Garafil was a former Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Chairperson and Resident Representative.

Defensor said he would no longer return to the House to file the complaint, but he was considering other legal options, including going to the Supreme Court.