Junking of BBM impeach raps needs plenary approval

The junking of the two impeachment complaints against President Marcos by the House committee on justice will still have to be approved in a plenary vote.

- By EJ MACABABBAD

"I think the plenary will respect and uphold the decision of the committee on justice," Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin, a committee vice chairperson, told “Storycon” on One News yesterday.

But the committee will face another historic turn in the country’s impeachment saga should one-third of all House members vote to disapprove its report.

"The dismissal is considered reversed," Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, the committee chairperson, told Storycon. "By reversal, they are saying that there is sufficiency in substance." In that scenario, the committee will be constrained to consider the offenses and grounds listed in the two complaints and to draft the Articles of Impeachment.

The Articles need another plenary approval by one-third of all representatives before they can be transmitted to the Senate for trial.

It's an uphill climb for Marcos impeachment advocates to gather the necessary 106 votes, given that the majority bloc consists of 253 members.

Thornier process

The insufficiency of substance of the two complaints demonstrated how thorny it is to impeach the highest officials of the land.

The complaints filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus and the Makabayan bloc faltered because they failed to authenticate evidence supporting their accusations.