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Ex-lawmakers take Marcos to task after House rejection of impeach rap

Former representatives Mike Defensor and Jing Paras say the rejection of the impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is unconstitutional and calls him the mastermind behind the flood control anomalies. They said impeachment was the only constitutional way to hold the president accountable during a press briefing of the Philippine Accreditation for National Accountability (PANA) in Quezon City on Jan. 23, 2026.

Video by James Danio

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Transcript
00:00...against President Ferdinand Bogbong Marcos Jr.
00:07Ito po, batay sa pinakita ni Antony Maniluna, andyan yung mga unaccessed evidence na hawak po namin.
00:14And this is the main impeachment complaint na hindi po tinanggap kahapon ng Office of the Secretary General.
00:22Yan po, kahasa namin sinasabi, mali, iligal, at labak sa ating salingang batas.
00:30Paglinaw na po ang sinabi ng mga Korte Suprema tungkol dito, marami ng desisyon.
00:35Ministerial ang pagtanggap ng Secretary General, at ito po ay dadanin sa Speaker's Office.
00:42Speaker's Office ibibigay sa plenario na kung saan ito po ay inalagay o pag-uusapan sa Committee on Justice.
00:51So, with that, nandito po yung ating mga abogado to discuss.
00:56In particular, siguro yung hindi natin masasabing exhaustively dahil naman po sa mismong hearing.
01:04Pero hindi discussed yung grounds for impeachment na i-finile po natin.
01:08Alam nyo, malami nagtatanong. Sinasabi nila, ano ang endgame?
01:13Ano ang nais ninyo? Bakit kayo nag-file sa Pangulong Bogbo Marcos?
01:19Sila po siguro may kumisan parang surprise na that we find.
01:23But actually, kami ang nagugulat.
01:27Kami ang nasusurprise dahil hindi ba responsibilidad ng bawat Pilipino na malaman yung kurakot na nangyari,
01:36yung korupsyon na ginawa, yung mga paglabag na salika batas ng opisina ng Pangulong Bogbo Marcos?
01:43Ito ay responsibilidad ng bawat Pilipino, bawat isa sa amin.
01:48At ituloy po ang aming pananaw.
01:51Ang impeachment complaint, ang tanging proseso ng bawat isang Pilipino.
01:57Wala nang iba.
01:58Each of us, individually and collectively, the only chance to file a case against the President
02:03is through an impeachment process.
02:06Hindi ka pwede mag-file sa ombudsman, hindi ka pwede mag-file sa Presidente
02:11ng isang kaso, kung hindi sa impeachment process labang.
02:16So with that, I'd like to present the lawyers who will be discussing the grounds for impeachment.
02:21I will first give the mic to Atty. Jim Paras.
02:25I just want to add, no?
02:30Alam mo kasi, the responsibility of the President is overwhelming.
02:39Maraming nagsasabi, the sector or even the people around him are saying,
02:45si Presidente ang nagpapay-imistiga.
02:49But kami, sa grupo namin, we don't believe na siya nagpapay-imistiga.
02:55Ang belief namin ay siya ang mastermind.
02:59Siya ang numero uno ng kurakot sa bansa natin.
03:04But how do we make him accountable?
03:08He is immune from something.
03:10We cannot file a case against him to the ombudsman.
03:12The ICI is under sa kanya.
03:15Hindi pwede mag-imistiga sa kanya.
03:18Sa Senate, there is a separation of power.
03:22So, ang tangi lamang na binibigay ng ating sarigang batas
03:27na mananagot ang Pangulo is through an impeachment.
03:32Kaya po, pinag-isipan namin na ito na matagalo.
03:36We have come to the ultimate decision na dapat mananagot si Marcos
03:43dahil siya ay maraming binagawa ng kabulas-migal sa ating bansa.
03:49And it is through the impeachment.
03:51Pero, nanghihilakit kami
03:53dahil mukhang hindi kami pinagbigyan
03:58ng pinapatan na magiging evancher
04:03which is enshrined in our Constitution.
04:06So, that is where
04:08that is why we are here today.
04:10Kailan ko salamat.
04:12Okay, so
04:13for the first part of the complaint
04:16of the impeachment article
04:17I'd like to turn the mic to
04:19Atty. Manny Luna.
04:21Just a background
04:21Atty. Manny Luna was one of those
04:23who filed against
04:24Chairman Andy Bautista
04:26during that impeachment process
04:28along with
04:29Hong Jing Paras
04:30and Atty. Topacio.
04:31Atty. Manny?
04:32Just a little correction.
04:33I was the counsel of the two
04:36patriotic Filipinos
04:38former congressman
04:40Jing Paras
04:41and Atty. Ferdinand Topacio
04:43in the successful impeachment
04:45of former communist chairman
04:47Andres Bautista.
04:49Napa-impeach namin siya.
04:50That was very historic.
05:03That was very, it was very interesting.
05:05Music
05:08h
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