Former congressman Mike Defensor expressed serious doubts over pursuing a separate impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., saying recent developments in the House of Representatives suggest the process has already been preempted. In an exclusive interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Defensor said he is reconsidering filing, noting that an earlier impeachment complaint has already been referred to the Speaker’s Office.
Defensor explained that under the Constitution, House rules, and Supreme Court rulings, once an impeachment complaint is referred to the Committee on Justice, the initiation process is considered complete. “Pag ito’y na-refer na sa Committee on Justice, yun na, tapos na,” he said, adding that filing another complaint would only play into what he described as a “moro-moro” or staged process.
He also alleged that their group’s attempt to file an impeachment complaint was deliberately blocked. Defensor claimed House personnel refused to receive their documents despite existing precedent. “Malabo… talagang pinagplanuhan yung hindi pagtanggap,” he said, referring to the refusal of the Office of the Secretary General to accept their filing even through an officer-in-charge.
Defensor said their impeachment complaint involved seven complainants, including several lawyers, but they decided not to push through with endorsements to avoid pressuring lawmakers. He noted that members of Congress were already under intense pressure, prompting their group to temporarily step back from formally submitting the complaint.
Asked about the grounds for impeachment, Defensor stressed that impeachment is the only legal remedy available against a sitting president. He cited alleged issues in the national budget, including the use of unprogrammed allocations, diversion of PhilHealth funds amounting to ₱60 billion, the inclusion of ₱107 billion from the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC), and budget riders allowing reserved funds to be diverted. “Yan ay pondo ng taumbayan,” Defensor said.
He also raised concerns over the alleged diversion of funds away from major infrastructure projects, including the Metro Manila Subway. According to Defensor, funds were transferred from the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to unprogrammed allocations and replaced with projects he claimed were prone to high kickbacks.
Defensor questioned the sufficiency of an earlier impeachment complaint filed by another lawyer, saying he was alarmed when it was prioritized while their more detailed filing was blocked. “Ang impeachment dalawang bagay yan—form and substance,” he said, adding that their group had worked extensively to compile and organize supporting evidence. He said discussions with his colleagues are ongoing as they decide their next steps.
