President Marcos unveils the logo for the 80th anniversary of Philippines-United States diplomatic relations during a ceremony at Malacañang yesterday. Among those who attended the event were First Lady Liza Marcos, US-Philippines Society executive director Hank Hendrickson, US-Philippines Society co-chair Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, acting DFA Secretary Leo Herrera- Lim, co-chairman of the US-Philippines Society John Negroponte, US embassy Charge d’Affaires Robert Ewing, US-Philippines Society president emeritus John Maisto and Ambassador Thomas Hubbard.NOEL PABALATE

House panel adopts ruling scrapping 2 Marcos Jr. impeach raps

by · philstar

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives’ committee on justice has voted to adopt its Feb. 4 report declaring the impeachment complaints against President Marcos insufficient in substance.

Voting 39-4, panel members led by chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas approved Committee Report 111 which – together with House Resolution 746 – was later in the afternoon included in the order of business during plenary session.

It was forwarded to the House committee on rules, chaired by Majority Leader Sandro Marcos. His committee will set a schedule for a plenary discussion on the justice panel report.

The two separate complaints were filed by private lawyer Andre de Jesus and former Gabriela congresswoman Liza Maza.

Aside from Luistro, the other sponsors of the justice committee report were Reps. Mauricio Domogan (Baguio City), Alfredo Garbin Jr. (Ako Bicol party-list), Brian Poe (FPJ Panday), Jose Alvarez (Palawan), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon) and Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan).

House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Edgar Erice (Caloocan City second district), who supported the Maza complaint, lamented that the Luistro committee imposed a very stringent rule on determining sufficiency in substance, when this should have been done in the hearing proper.

“This is grave abuse of discretion. This is a virtual trial,” Erice manifested. “This stage of the process is not a trial and not a determination of guilt. It is a threshold inquiry. It was not a sufficiency screening but a premature judgment on the merits,” he said.

“The only question is whether the complaint alleges facts, which, if hypothetically admitted, could constitute an impeachable offense. This approach sets a dangerous precedent that future major allegations against any high official can be dismissed without hearing,” he added.

Before the voting, Rep. Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal party-list) sought Luistro’s approval of “partial dissent” vote, citing her clashing positions concerning sufficiency in substance on the De Jesus and Maza complaint.

Luistro ruled that as “per practice” of previous justice committee hearings on past impeachment cases, officials and members can only vote either yes or no, “but they can manifest and explain their votes,” which De Lima acknowledged.

Impeachment-endorsers Reps. Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers party-list) and Renee Co (Kabataan party-list) also opposed the motion to adopt the committee report, insisting the Maza impeachment complaint had the recital of facts and thus meritorious.

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez (Cagayan de Oro City second district), chairman of the House committee on charter amendments, pointed out that there was “nothing” in the De Jesus and Maza complaints that “directly linked” Marcos to any impeachable offense. – Alexis Romero