PINAGTIBAY ng Kamara de Representantes ― sa botong 284 na pabor, walo laban at apat na nag-abstain ― ang rekomendasyon ng House committee on justice na ibasura ang dalawang reklamong impeachment laban kay Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. dahil sa kakulangan sa substance.

In-adopt ng House Plenary ang Committee Report (CR) No. 111 na isinumite ng House committee on justice ukol sa House Resolution (HR) No. 746 na “Resolution Dismissing the complaints for impeachment filed by Atty. Andre R. De Jesus and Liza Maza, Teodoro A. Casiño, Renato Reyes, Jr., Atty. Neri Colmenares, et al. against President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos, Jr.”

Sinabi ni Batangas Rep. Jerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, chairperson ng House committee on justice, na siyang nag-sponsor sa CR No. 111 at HR No. 746 sa floor noong Lunes, na and desisyon ng panel ay base sa pamantayan ng Konstitusyon, mga desisyon ng Korte Suprema at sa House Rules on Impeachment.

“I rise today to sponsor the Committee Report and the accompanying Resolution from the Committee on Justice, formally recommending the dismissal of the two impeachment complaints filed against President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.,” ani Luistro.

“Complaints that are fundamentally insufficient in substance must be dismissed, not indulged for the sake of political theater. In this Hall, the interest of the Filipino people must always come first. To do otherwise is to degrade impeachment from a constitutional safeguard into a weapon of harassment. While our Rules state that substance is met by a recital of facts and jurisdictional requirements, huwag nating kalimutan: Impeachment is a sui generis proceeding. It is a class of its own,” pahayag ni Luistro.

“Our decision reflects the Committee’s faithful adherence to the strict standards of the 1987 Constitution. It is a definitive declaration that in this Hall, the Rule of Law prevails over the Rule of Rhetoric. Kaya naman, on behalf of the Committee on Justice, I respectfully move for the adoption of the Committee Report and the approval of the House Resolution dismissing the two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. I urge my colleagues to defend the integrity of this institution and the sanctity of the impeachment process. The 1987 Constitution has lodged this extraordinary power in us ― the duly elected representatives of the Filipino people.

Tungkulin nating timbangin kung ang mga akusasyong ito ay may katotohanan o sadyang mapanira lamang. Tayo ang boses ng bawat Pilipino rito sa Plenaryo. I urge every Member of this House: Do not consider this duty as a matter of convenience; decide with your conscience. Isipin natin ang kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino. Let us prove that in this Hall, the interest of the people always comes first, and the Rule of Law remains supreme,” dagdag niya.

Sinabi ni Luistro na ang complaints ay ang De Jesus complaint ng abogadong si Andre R. de Jesus at inendorso ni Pusong Pinoy Party-list Rep. Jernie Jett V. Nisay, at ang Maza et al. complaint na finile nina Liza Largoza-Maza, Teodoro A. Casiño, Renato Reyes Jr., Atty. Neri Colmenares at iba pang complainants, at inendorso nina ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago at Kabataan Rep. Renee Louise Co.

Aniya, ang impeachment ay konstitusyonal na kasangkapan para sa pananagutan, ngunit hindi naman ito walang limitasyon.

“Although impeachment is political in nature, it is not without limits,” ani Luistro, at binanggit ang Supreme Court (SC) doctrine na ang proseso ay alinsunod sa “strict constitutional standards, gravity, and due process.”

Ayon kay Luistro, ang dalawang complaints ay nakitang “sufficient in form” matapos ang physical inspection ng mga dokumento, ngunit hindi pasado sa mas demanding na test ng “sufficiency in substance.”

“Malinaw po ang naging husga ng Committee on Justice, ang mga reklamong ito, although both were found sufficient in form, are insufficient in substance,” giit niya.

Ipinaliwanag niya na ang sufficiency in substance ay dapat may nilalamang ultimate facts na suportado ng personal na kaalaman at authentic records, hindi base sa haka-haka o espekulasyon.

“Sufficiency in substance is not measured by the volume of bare allegations and annexes that are unsubstantiated by personal knowledge and authentic records,” saad ni Luistro.

Ang panel ay walang nakitang solid factual foundation sa De Jesus complaint para suportahan ang mga alegasyon, kabilang ang mga isyu sa foreign policy decisions, alegasyon sa paggamit ng droga, isyu sa budget veto, graft and corruption, at ang pagbuo ng Independent Commission for Infrastructure.

“Mere disagreement with foreign policy is not an impeachable betrayal,” aniya, at iginiit na ang impeachment “cannot be triggered by policy disputes.”

Sinabi rin ni Luistro na ang mga alegasyon sa drug addiction ay walang basehan.

“These allegations are mere hearsay,” aniya, at dinagdag na walang mga affidavit, sworn testimony o verified records ukol dito.

Sa isyung budgetary abuses at kickbacks, sinabi ni Luistro na ang mga akusasyon ay conclusory at base sa unverified materials.

“Public suspicion is not proof,” aniya.

Dineklara rin ng komite na ang Maza et al. complaint ay insufficient in substance, kabilang ang mga alegasyon sa “BBM Parametric Formula,” unprogrammed appropriations at diumano’y budget insertions, ani Luistro.

“An imperfect policy direction is not an impeachable offense,” aniya, at binigyang-diin na ang impeachment ay hindi mekanismo para parusahan ang mga piniling polisiya.

Sinabi rin niya na ang komite ay bumoto ng 42-1 at tatlo ang nag-abstain para ideklara ang De Jesus complaint na insufficient in substance.

Ang Maza et al. complaint naman ay nakakuha lamang ng pitong boto para sa sufficiency in substance, habang 39 ang hindi sumang-ayon.

“Complaints that are fundamentally insufficient in substance must be dismissed, not indulged for the sake of political theater,” pahayag ni Luistro. “In this Hall, the interest of the Filipino people must always come first.”

Aniya pa, ang desisyon ng komite ay alinsunod sa 1987 Constitution.

“It is a definitive declaration that in this Hall, the Rule of Law prevails over the Rule of Rhetoric,” ani Luistro.