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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider No compelling reason to impeach PBBM, minority solons say

No compelling reason to impeach PBBM, minority solons say

Published Nov 19, 2025 01:46 pm

At A Glance

  • Members of the House minority bloc neither thinks there's a compelling reason to file an impeachment case against President Marcos, nor will it prosper in case it gets filed.
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Facebook)
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Facebook)


Members of the House minority bloc neither thinks there's a compelling reason to file an impeachment case against President Marcos, nor will it prosper in case it gets filed.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña and Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando gave this assessment in a press conference Wednesday, Nov. 19 amid chatter that the allegations of corruption against Marcos--mainly those raised by resigned Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co--could result to an impeachment case.
"Noong nakaraang Kongreso, nag-file ang Akbayan ng impeachment complaint against kay VP Sara Duterte. At yung unang naging motivation natin sa pag-file na yun ay yung matindi at strong evidence na mayroon tayo," Cendaña said.
(In the previous Congress, Akbayan filed an impeachment complaint against VP Sara Duterte. And the first motivation we had for filing that was the strong and compelling evidence that we possessed.)
"Kaya mahalaga na kung si Zaldy Co ay confident dun sa kanyang hawak na ebidensya, dapat illabas niya at umuwi siya dito. Kasi again, we will go where the evidence will lead us (That’s why it is important that if Zaldy Co is confident in the evidence he holds, he should present it and come home here. Because again, we will go where the evidence will lead us)," he said.
"Until then wala pang compelling reason [to file], kasi tingin natin ang impeachment complaint should be founded on facts and evidence (Until then, there is no compelling reason [to file], because we believe that an impeachment complaint should be founded on facts and evidence)," stressed the deputy minority leader.
It can be recalled that Cendaña endorsed the first of four impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Duterte during the previous 19th Congress.
Co--believed to be a key personality in the budget insertion issue and flood control projects controversy--has been hiding abroad for months.
Over the weekend, Co, a former chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, claimed in a series of Facebook video uploads that President Marcos forced P100 billion worth of project insertions in the 2025 national budget. From this massive insertion, the Chief Executive allegedly received 25 percent or P25 billion in kickbacks.
'It won't prosper'
San Fernando ageed with his colleague from Akbayan. "Patungkol naman doon sa impeachment, it’s a very political process....mahirap naman ibabatay natin yung ating mga proseso sa pinost lang sa social media.
(As for the impeachment, it’s a very political process… it would be difficult for us to base our procedures merely on something that was just posted on social media.)
"I do not think na magpa-prosper yung any impeachment proceedings kasi it's a very political process dito sa House of Representatives (I do not think any impeachment proceedings will prosper because it is a very political process here in the House of Representatives). So let us see," he added.
San Fernando said that Co needs to give probative value to his so-called exposés.
"Ang problema kasi walang legal weight yung binabanggit ni former representative Zaldy Co. Binulalas niya lang yan sa social media. And that is why we are telling the former representative to come home at kung talagang seryoso ka dyan sa mga alegasyon mo, eh sabihin mo yan under oath so that it will have legal weight."
(The problem is that what former representative Zaldy Co is mentioning has no legal weight. He just blurted that out on social media. And that is why we are telling the former representative to come home, and if you are truly serious about those allegations, then state them under oath so that they will have legal weight.)
At any rate, San Fernando said the minority members aren't discussing Marcos' ouster through impeachment.
"In as much as I am concerned, wala pa akong naririnig, wala pa kaming nababalitaan na may plano na mag-file ng impeachment complaint against the President. Hindi rin napag-uusan yan ng mga miyembro ng minorya," he said.
(I have not heard anything, we have not received any information that there are plans to file an impeachment complaint against the President. That has also not been discussed by the members of the minority.)
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