Malacañang is leaving it to President Marcos' legal team to decide whether he will attend the House of Representatives' justice committee hearings on the impeachment complaint against him. The deliberations are set to begin on Feb. 2, and the president may be invited if the complaints are deemed sufficient in form and substance. Officials emphasized that attendance is the president's prerogative.
MANILA, Philippines — The House justice committee, led by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville Luistro, is preparing to begin deliberations on two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Feb. 2, 2026. The hearings will take place at 10 a.m. at the People’s Center in the Batasan complex.
Luistro stated that the president would be invited to the hearings if the complaints are found sufficient in form and substance, but attendance is his prerogative. “It depends on the legal team of the President, whether there is a need for that,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said during a press briefing.
The first complaint, filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus and endorsed by Pusong Pinoy party-list Rep. Jett Nisay, accuses Marcos of the “kidnapping” and surrender of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court, failing to veto unconstitutional provisions in the past four national budgets, and forming the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to shield allies from corruption.
The second complaint from the Makabayan bloc, endorsed by ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co, charges Marcos with betrayal of public trust for using the baselined-balanced-managed parametric formula that allegedly enables kickbacks in state infrastructure projects.
Luistro is keen on consolidating the two complaints, but retired Supreme Court associate justice Adolf Azcuna noted it is up to the committee whether to merge or treat them separately. He added that this referral triggers a one-year ban on filing another impeachment complaint. “The report of the committee to the House will be the one that will be followed,” Azcuna said.
A third complaint linked to Vice President Sara Duterte's group was rejected by the House Secretary General's office due to the chief's absence during submission. “We were surprised that the Office of the Secretary General refused to accept our impeachment complaint,” lawyer Ferdinand Topacio remarked.
The process follows constitutional guidelines, and Congress may adapt rules for handling simultaneous complaints against the president and vice president, according to Azcuna.
