No Supreme Court ruling exists against House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, according to a Rappler fact check. A misleading Facebook post claimed he was removed from office, but he remains listed as majority leader on the official House of Representatives website.
A Facebook post from the page “Duterte Active Supporters,” with over 110,000 followers, went viral on February 10, claiming House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos had been removed from his position as Ilocos Norte 1st District representative due to a Supreme Court ruling. The post questioned, “Nakarma na! Sandro wala ng takas! Korte Suprema may matinding hatol pirmado na? Pinatalsik na sa pwesto?” and garnered over 1,800 reactions, 950 comments, and 300 shares.
The fact check states there is no evidence or record of any Supreme Court decision against Marcos. He continues to be listed as the active majority leader on the official House of Representatives website. The claim likely originated from his decision to recuse himself from impeachment proceedings against his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in January. Two impeachment complaints were filed against the president: one by Pusong Pinoy Representative Jett Nisay for endorsing the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte on an International Criminal Court warrant, among other offenses, and another for betrayal of public trust.
Sandro Marcos stated he would inhibit to avoid any doubt on the fairness, objectivity, or legitimacy of the process. “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,” he said. However, this recusal does not equate to resignation or removal from office.
In February, the impeachment complaints were junked. Under Article VI, Section 16 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, each House may suspend or expel a member for up to 60 days with a two-thirds vote. This marks another instance where Rappler has debunked similar false claims about officials being removed due to alleged Supreme Court decisions, including those involving Hontiveros, Romualdez, and Sotto.
