The Tamesis
February 5, 2026
Manila – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed the House Judiciary Committee’s rejection of two impeachment charges against him and urged critics to “move on,” palace press officer Claire Castro said Wednesday.
In an interview with the media in Malacañang, Castro was asked about Marcos’ reaction to the House Judiciary Committee’s announcement that the two impeachment charges were substantively inadequate.
“He was happy. He said procedures were followed and that’s what the president wants – to uphold due process and get to the truth,” Castro told reporters in Filipino.
She added that lawmakers thoroughly reviewed the allegations made in the complaint.
“To our fellow citizens, we want you to see that legislators have reviewed each and every allegation one by one, a process that helps clarify the issue and provide clarity to everyone,” she said in Filipino.
Asked about Marcos’ message to those filing impeachment complaints, Castro said the president wanted to move on.
“It’s good that they know more now. But the president said, ‘Let’s move on’ because his focus now is on the economy and improving the lives of every Filipino,” she added.
Castro also said the presidential palace was satisfied that proper procedures were followed and expressed gratitude to lawmakers for being able to see the merits of the case.
“We see that these complaints really have no basis and even the president himself believes that he did not commit any impeachable offense,” she said in Filipino.
She reiterated that the president remains focused on economic growth.
“At this point, the president’s focus is on boosting the country’s economy, which is why he said, ‘Let’s keep moving forward,'” she added.
The palace official also dismissed suggestions that Marcos believed the impeachment complaint would fail because of his alleged influence over the House leadership.
“That is not the case,” Castro said. “Even individuals who are not supporters of the president have said these complaints are weak and baseless. Several lawyers have pointed out this.”
“I will mention some of them, including attorney de León. Other constitutional experts have also said the impeachment complaint against the president is weak,” she added.
In the first impeachment charge against Marcos, only one lawmaker – Pinoy Party lawmaker Jernie Jett Nisay – voted that the bill was substantive enough, while 42 voted against the motion. Three members of the Makabayan bloc abstained from voting.
The first complaint was filed by Atty. Andre de Jesus accused Marcos of betrayal of public trust and violation of the constitution.
In the second appeal, only seven MPs voted that its substance was sufficient, while 39 voted against it, with no abstentions. The complaint, filed by the Makabayan Group, accuses Marcos of betraying the public trust by using a baseline balanced management parameter formula in allocating infrastructure projects. /jpv
