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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Defensor, Singson-led group tries to file another Marcos impeachment complaint, but fails

Defensor, Singson-led group tries to file another Marcos impeachment complaint, but fails

Published Jan 22, 2026 04:52 pm

At A Glance

  • A group led by administration critics former Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson tried but failed to file another impeachment complaint against President Marcos on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 22.
Complainants Mike Defensor (lefrmost), Chavit Singson (3rd from left) (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Complainants Mike Defensor (lefrmost), Chavit Singson (3rd from left) (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)


A group led by administration critics former Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson tried but failed to file another impeachment complaint against President Marcos on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 22.
Like the group of militants that tried to file an impeachment rap against the President that same morning, Defensor, Singson, and their six other complainants were ultimately frustrated by the absence of House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil.
Garafil is currently on an official engagement in Taiwan. She is expected to return to work on Monday, Jan. 26, which coincides with the return of plenary sessions in the House of Representatives following the month-long holiday recess.
"The refusal of the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives to accept the impeachment complaint is a clear violation of both the rules of the House and the 1987 Philippine Constitution," Defensor said in a press conference wherein he read the group's prepared statement.
Defensor said his group was informed by the militant Makabayan bloc, which endorsed another complaint earlier that day, that Garafil wasn't around to receive the document.
This caused Makabayan to simply leave a copy of their complaint inside the secretary general's office and deemed the document as "filed".
Unlike the militant bloc, the disgusted Defensor faction chose not to leave behind their complaint.
Joining Defensor and Singson as complainants were Ferdinand Topacio, their legal counsel; Manuelito Luna; Virgilio Garcia, Cathy Binag, Harold Respicio, and Jacinto Paras.
"The rules of the House explicitly provide a ministerial duty for the Office of the Secretary General to receive and record impeachment complaints that are duly filed. There is no discretion given to the secretary general to reject, screen, delay, or block such filings," Defensor said.
"By refusing to accept the complaint, the office effectively usurps the constitutional authority of the House itself and denies the Filipino people their only lawful mechanism to raise grievances against a sitting President," he pointed out.
"To block this process is not merely procedural error - it is a constitutional violation. an obstruction of a lawful remedy, and a direct assault on the people's right to petition government for redress of grievances," he further said.
So far, the only person to successfully file an impeachment complaint against Marcos is lawyer Andre de Jesus. Garafil was able to receive De Jesus' verified and duly-endorsed complaint last Monday, Jan. 19. It has since been forwarded to the Speaker's office.
A visibly irked Defensor described the De Jesus complaint as a "scam". The only legitimate complaints that seek to oust Marcos via the constitutional process of impeachment, according to him, were the Makabayan complaint and their own complaint.
Who are their endorsers?
However, Defensor and his companions--who all pinned peach-colored ribbons on their chest--were tight-lipped about their own allegations or articles of impeachment against Marcos.
When pressed for information, Luna bared that they cited the grounds of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, high crimes, and graft and corruption in their complaint.
They were also secretive about the three supposed House members who agreed to endorse their complaint. An impeachment complaint filed by a civilian must be endorsed by at least one congressman--otherwise it's just paper scrap.
Luna said they were just protecting their solon-endorsers from "harassment".
The first impeachment complaint was endorsed by Deputy Minority Leader Pusong Pinoy Party-list Rep. Jett Nisay.
Supreme Court eyed
Meanwhile, Defensor appeared uninterested in pursuing the filing of their complaint upon Garafil's return on Monday. He said they are eyeing other "legal remedies", particularly the Supreme Court (SC).
"Para pumunta pa ko dito and sumali sa moro-moro, wag na...Basta ang posisyon ko, we have other legal remedies (Should I go back here and join this charade? No way...my position is, we have other legal remedies)," he said, referring to the high court.
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