Palace after House junks Marcos impeach raps: Truth finally came out

MANILA, Philippines — “Sorry na lang po kasi lumabas po ang katotohanan.” (Sorry about that—because the truth came out.)

This was the message of Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Wednesday to those disappointed by the House of Representatives’ dismissal of the two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In a plenary session on Tuesday, the lower chamber upheld the dismissal of the two impeachment complaints against Marcos, ruling that they were insufficient in substance.

READ: 284 House solons junk Marcos impeach raps

At a briefing, Castro also said impeachment complaints should not be used as a “fishing expedition” to look for wrongdoing by Marcos when there is no solid evidence to begin with.

“They can clearly see that it was not only the 284 members of the House of Representatives who dismissed the impeachment complaints filed against President Marcos Jr., but also other experts — legal experts and constitutionalists — who have said that the impeachment complaints against our President have no basis,” she said in Filipino.

Marcos officially survived the first attempt to impeach him after 284 members of the House of Representatives voted to adopt the justice committee report declaring the two complaints against him insufficient in substance.

READ: Marcos unfazed by impeachment bids, calls them political move

In a chance interview on Friday, Marcos dismissed the efforts to unseat him as a mere “political move.”

The first complaint was filed by Atty. Andre de Jesus, accusing Marcos of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution, among other charges.

Another complaint, filed by the Makabayan bloc, alleged that Marcos committed betrayal of public trust over the adoption of the Baselined-Balanced-Managed Parametric Formula in the allocation of infrastructure projects. /jpv