Impeachment allegations filed against Marcos are being presented
In the bustling world of Philippine politics, the Office of the Secretary General (OSC) of the House of Representatives found itself in the thick of things on Wednesday, May 8, 2025. Ronald Cardema, Chairman of the Duterte Youth party-list, along with his wife Marie, lodged an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Ronald, who serves as the National Youth Commission chairman, asserted that the OSC had no qualms with receiving the impeachment complaint, despite the absence of House Secretary General Reginald Velasco. He confirmed that the complaint was verified following an endorsement by his own party's representative, Ducielle Cardema.
The rules of impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives dictate that it is the Office of the Secretary General who will receive the complaint, rather than a specific individual. If the Secretary General is absent, his deputies would assume the task. However, Ronald shared his displeasure at this, stating, "They don't want to receive it."
The Cardemas claimed that the impeachment complaint was based on allegations of constitutional violations and improper public behavior during the time Marcos was impeached for his confrontation with former President Rodrigo Duterte and his subsequent handover to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands for investigation into crimes against humanity during his drug war.
Ronald argued, "Sovereignty resides in the Filipino people. In essence, the nation's sovereignty lies with us, the Filipino citizens. When Marcos handed a Filipino citizen over to foreigners on March 11, he surrendered the nation's sovereignty. Someone should be held accountable for this, or else it may happen again."
Describing the President as culpable of violating the Constitution, Ronald explained, "He swore on his first day to uphold and defend the Constitution of the Philippines. Of course, he would uphold the nation's sovereignty. What he did, handing a Filipino citizen over to foreigners, equated to a surrender of the nation's sovereignty. It wasn't just one Filipino that was handed over. The Filipino in question was the former President of the Philippines and was trusted by the people."
Casting doubt on the legitimacy of the impeachment complaint, a press conference held by Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Thursday, May 9, 2025, affirmed that the arrest of Duterte was legal and the complaint lacked a solid basis.
- In the Philippines, politics has been stirred once more as an impeachment complaint, centering on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., was lodged by Ronald Cardema, National Youth Commission chairman and Duterte Youth party-list chairman, and his wife Marie, on May 8, 2025.
- The impeachment complaint was received by the Office of the Secretary General (OSC) of the House of Representatives, presided over by Reginald Velasco, despite his absence, as per the rules of impeachment proceedings.
- The complaint is based on allegations of constitutional violations and improper behavior during President Marcos's confrontation with former President Rodrigo Duterte, which led to his handover to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation into crimes against humanity during his drug war.
- In a related matter, Ducielle Cardema, Duterte Youth party's representative, endorsed the complaint to move forward with the OSC's process.
- The Philippine Senate, in light of the impeachment complaint, will soon address the allegations against President Marcos and decide on policy-and-legislation, war-and-conflicts, and general-news implications in the ongoing legal proceedings.
