MANILA — Makabayan lawmakers along with 30 others filed a second impeachment complaint against Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, January 22, 2026 for the systemic corruption in the country. 

The office of the House Secretary General however refused to accept the complaint because House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil is out of the country and there was nobody authorized to receive the complaint. 

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Chairperson Teddy Casiño expressed dismay over the refusal of the House Secretary General’s office to receive the complaint.

“Filing a complaint does not require the presence of the secretary general to, in a ministerial manner, receive (the complaint) by her office,” he said in a press conference after their filing. 

Former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, one of the complainants, also said the rules of procedure in impeachment proceedings does not specifically require the presence of the secretary general for the office to receive the complaint.

He said a staff member or an officer-in-charge could have received the impeachment complaint. 

“A verified complaint for impeachment by a Member of the House or by any citizen upon a resolution of endorsement by any Member thereof shall be filed with the office of the Secretary General and immediately referred to the Speaker,” Section 3 of the rules of procedure reads.

“We left a copy of the complaint in the office (of the Secretary General) and as far as the complainants are concerned we have complied to the rules, that we filed our complaint to the office of the Secretary General,” Casiño said, adding that the next thing that Garafil should do when she reports back to office is to do her ministerial job and transmit the complaint to the office of House Speaker Faustino Dy III.

Betrayal of public trust     

The impeachment complaint alleges three acts of betrayal of public trust, namely: the President’s institutionalization of systemic corruption, abuse of discretionary power over unprogrammed appropriations, and direct personal involvement in budgetary insertions and kickback schemes.

“Complainants, who are leaders and members of organizations of marginalized and underrepresented sectors, have acted upon the resounding clamor of the people— Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot! Simula sa tuktok!— and to hold President Marcos to account for his betrayal of public trust,” the complaint reads.

“These allocables are the source of corruption, the kickback system, and the commissions given to officials. This would not have happened on such a large scale if it had not been allowed and approved by the president himself,” said Renato Reyes Jr., president of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), in Filipino.  

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)’s exposé found that the “allocable” funds in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) became the new form of “pork barrel” — government funds which a legislator has control later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

PCIJ also identified that the kin of the president in the House of Representatives, particularly his son Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, had the highest allocable funds among all district congressmen in 2025, followed by Marcos Jr.’s cousin Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.

“Allocables are the current form of pork barrel but with a difference: The total amounts are determined by the executive, rather than by the legislature, although lawmakers can decide how those amounts should be spent. Moreover, unlike the old pork, “allocables” are itemized and decided on by Congress before the budget is enacted, not after,” the PCIJ report said. 

The budget process shows the active participation of the President: the Development Budget Coordination Committee present the proposed budget before the President and the Cabinet for discussion approval before the Department of Budget and Management validates and consolidate the proposals into the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing, National Expenditure Program, and other budget documents. 

The President is also mandated to submit the proposed budget to Congress within 30 days of the opening of the regular session. And at the very end, it is also the president who may veto or set conditions for the implementation of certain items as he signs the General Appropriations Act into law.

Liza Maza, president of Makabayan Coalition, believed that the steps of the Marcos Jr. in investigating corruption are just “cover-ups.” 

Marcos Jr. said that the probe initiated by the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) is nearing its completion, which will be endorsed to the Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman.

The only former elected official in detention for the flood control mess, as of this writing, is former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. 

Contractors Sarah Discaya and Ma. Roma Angeline Romando are also detained after being implicated in the scandal.

Meanwhile, almost 100 anti-corruption activists face sedition charges for participating in the September 21 protest last year, solely for demanding justice and accountability for the widespread corruption in the government.

“As citizens, it is our duty and our right to hold the highest officials accountable through the impeachment process, especially if they enjoy immunity from suit,” Reyes added. (AMU, RTS, JDS)