The impeachment complaint filed yesterday against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and the separate complaint set to be filed next week against Vice President Sara Duterte, are both meant as a response to systemic corruption in government.
This was the statement of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) President Renato Reyes Jr., who underscored that this marks the first time the country’s two highest officials will face simultaneous impeachment proceedings.
“Sa diwa ng panawagang “lahat ng sangkot dapat managot, simula sa tuktok”, naghahain ang iba’t ibang grupo ng kasong impeachment laban sa dalawang pinakamataas na opisyal ng bansa,” Reyes said in a Facebook post.
“Ang impeachment ay isang paraan ng accountability ng mga matataas na opisyal. Ginagawa ito dahil kailangang magkaroon ng resolusyon ang pinakamalalang usapin ng korapsyon sa ating bansa ngayon,” he added.
According to Reyes, the complaint against Marcos Jr. is anchored on the President’s alleged role in systemic corruption, including the promotion of “allocables” in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which allegedly enabled the collection of kickbacks.
He also cited the ballooning of unprogrammed appropriations for flood control projects and the acceptance of kickbacks through presidential officials, based on the testimony of former DPWH Undersecretary Robert Bernardo.
Meanwhile, the impeachment complaint against Duterte will be refiled after the earlier case was voided by the Supreme Court in February 2025 on technical grounds.
Although a Motion for Reconsideration remains pending, Reyes said the filing will proceed this February 2026. The basis of the complaint is the alleged misuse of ₱612 million in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
Asked whether simultaneous impeachment proceedings against the country’s top officials would harm the Philippines’ image and economy, Reyes countered that the real damage comes from unchecked corruption.
“Ang totoong nakakahiya at nakasasama sa ekonomiya ay ang laganap at sistematikong korapsyon at ang kawalan ng pananagutan dito. Ang tunay na trahedya ay ang pagnanakaw sa taumbayan,” he said.
Reyes stressed that the House of Representatives must hear the complaints and forward them to the Senate as articles of impeachment.
Despite Marcos Jr. holding a supermajority in the House, Reyes insisted this should not deter the filing. “Higit na mahalagang hurado ay ang taumbayan,” he said, urging the public to monitor the proceedings and discuss the substance of the complaints. (RRN)
