Abbey M.

The Supreme Court has clarified in its decision on Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case that impeachment is not merely a political matter but a legal and constitutional proceeding that requires due process from the very beginning.

The high court denied the House of Representatives' motion to reverse its declaration that the articles of impeachment against Vice President Duterte were unconstitutional.

The tribunal emphasized that the fourth articles of impeachment submitted to the Senate on February 5, 2025 violated the one-year bar rule.

According to Supreme Court Spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae Ting, the Supreme Court En Banc affirmed that the fourth impeachment complaint transmitted to the Senate on February 5, 2025 was already barred by Article XI, Section 3, subsection (5) of the Constitution.

In the decision written by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the court stated that impeachment is a legal, political, and constitutional procedure, not a political proceeding alone.

The court also asserted that under the power granted to them by the Constitution, impeachment proceedings can be reviewed by the judiciary.

The high court stressed that due process must be observed throughout the entire impeachment process, as well as the speedy disposition of cases.

"The due process clause embodies the fundamental constitutional commitment to reasonableness, fairness, and non-arbitrariness. It envisions that we cannot have a true democratic and republican/representative state that is arbitrary and unfair," Ting said.

The House of Representatives can no longer appeal the decision, and the Supreme Court will not accept any other petitions related to the case. This means the ruling is final and cannot be challenged.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s activities remain limited as he recovers from diverticulitis, an intestinal infection. 

Although he continues to improve, he still requires rest and careful monitoring. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said full recovery is expected in the coming weeks.

The Malacañang Palace has stated that releasing a medical bulletin on President Marcos Jr.'s condition is not necessary. This comes amid various speculations about the actual state of the President's health.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro clarified that medical bulletins are typically issued only for serious illnesses. 

According to the President's doctor, the diverticulitis he is experiencing, an inflammation of part of the large intestine is not life-threatening.

"To our knowledge, a medical bulletin should be released for serious illnesses. If the President said this is not life threatening, then why would a medical bulletin be necessary when we are already providing you with updates on the President's health condition?" Usec. Castro said.

["Sa ating pagkakaalam po kapag naglabas ng medical bulletin dapat serious illness. Kung sinabi ng Pangulo na hindi ito life-threatening, so, bakit kakailanganin po ngayon ang medical bulletin samantalang kami naman po ay nagpu-provide sa inyo kung ano ang kalagayan ng kalusugan ng Pangulo."]

She urged the public to rely on official information from the Palace and dismissed circulating reports alleging a worsening of the President's condition.

"We cannot provide any opinion if it does not come directly from the President's doctor and from the President himself. The President said it is not life-threatening. He experienced some pain and his doctors are addressing it," Castro added.

["Hindi po tayo maaaring magbigay ng anumang opinyon kung hindi naman manggagaling mismo sa doktor ng Pangulo at hindi manggagaling sa Pangulo. Sinabi po ng Pangulo hindi po life-threatening – nakaramdam po siya nang kaunting sakit at iyan naman po ay tinutugunan ng kaniyang mga doktor. "]

Under the Constitution, the President is obligated to inform the public about his health condition only in cases of serious illness.

Executive Secretary Recto, drawing from his own experience with the same condition, expressed confidence in the President's recovery.

"Well, it's only natural for the doctors to tell him to take a week of rest. You know, last year I also had diverticulitis. I had it twice in December of 2024 and January of 2025. It's painful, and I had downtime of a week for each episode. Now I am fully recovered and I think in the next few weeks the President will also be fully recovered," Recto said.

["Well its only natural for the doctors to tell him to take a week of rest. you know last year I also had diverticulitis. I had it twice. Dec of 2024 and January of 2025. Masakit iyon and I had down time of a week for each episode. Now I am fully recovered and I think in the next few weeks the President will also be fully recovered"]

This is not the first time the release of a presidential medical bulletin has become a contentious issue. During former President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, a petition was filed with the Supreme Court requesting the public disclosure of his health status. 

However, the Court dismissed the case due to lack of merit, ruling that the petitioner failed to prove that the President has a constitutional obligation to disclose his health condition.

With reports from Nel Maribojoc

MANILA—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. disclosed that he has been diagnosed with diverticulitis, which he attributed to extreme stress, but assured the public that his condition is stable.

In a video message, the President revealed his recent health issue while emphasizing that he is now feeling much better.

"I'm fine. I'm feeling very different from the way I was feeling before. The problem has been resolved. What happened was, apparently, I now have diverticulitis. It's a common complaint amongst, apparently, people who are heavily stressed and people who are, I have to admit, growing old," Marcos said.

The President also addressed his critics with a lighthearted message, downplaying concerns about the severity of his condition.

"Don't get too excited yet because it's not a life-threatening condition," Marcos said with a laugh.

When asked if there's anything to worry about, the President firmly responded: "Nothing. Don't worry. The rumors of my death are highly exaggerated."

Diverticulitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the digestive system, commonly linked to stress and aging. While it can cause discomfort, it is typically manageable with proper medical care.

The President's disclosure comes as he faces mounting political pressure, including two impeachment complaints and the ongoing flood control corruption scandal.

Despite his health concerns, Marcos reassured the public that he remains fit to carry out his duties as Chief Executive.

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With reports of Nel Maribojoc

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MANILA—Progressive group Bayan filed a second impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, January 22, 2026 which Malacañang immediately dismissed as lacking solid evidence.

The complaint was endorsed by Makabayan bloc lawmakers and is expected to be mentioned on the House floor when Congress resumes session on Monday, January 26, 2026.

This accuses the President of large-scale plunder through alleged presidential and congressional allocations for pet projects in the national budget and abuse of unprogrammed appropriations to fund anomalous infrastructure projects.

This marks the second impeachment complaint against the President.

Palace rejects allegations

The Palace strongly maintained that President Marcos did not commit any impeachable offense and has not violated any laws.

"If these are going to be their accusations again, the President is confident that he has not violated any law and did not commit any impeachable offense," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

["So, ganito lamang po ang kanilang mga magiging akusasyon, muli, malakas po ang loob ng ating Pangulo na wala po siyang nalabag na anumang batas at hindi po siya gumawa nang anumang impeachable offense."]

Castro challenged those filing the complaint to prove their allegations, particularly the so-called "BBM parametric formula" and claims of pork barrel.

"First of all, where is this BBM parametric formula they're talking about? They have to prove that. Second, regarding what you call pork barrel, we can prove through the President's actions that he took care of, we repeat, the President took care of the budget," Castro said.

She emphasized that accusations of abuse must be backed by concrete evidence.

"First of all, when they say abusive, they really need to prove it. If they cannot present any evidence in their complaint, they are simply making up stories, weaving narratives," Castro added.

["Unang-una po kasi kapag sinabi nilang abusive kailangan talagang i-prove ito. Kung wala naman po silang mailalagay na anumang pruweba sa kanilang complaint ay nagagawa lamang po sila ng kuwento, naghahabi ng istorya. “]

House proceedings

House Secretary General Atty. Cheloy Garafil confirmed that the first impeachment complaint has been transmitted to the office of House Speaker and Isabela 6th District Representative Faustino "Bojie" Dy III, signaling the start of the impeachment process under House rules.

House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong said the impeachment complaint may be mentioned in the plenary once Congress resumes.

"I think the procedure would be that it would be calendared, meaning it will be mentioned in the open session once Congress resumes on the 26th," Adiong said.

Aside from Bayan, groups reportedly aligned with the Dutertes are also expected to file their own impeachment complaint.

The development comes as President Marcos faces mounting political pressure over the flood control corruption scandal and other governance issues.

With reports of Nel Maribojoc and Rosalie Coz

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MANILA—Former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Zaldy Co is reportedly signaling his intention to surrender according to Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

Secretary Remulla said the former lawmaker has been sending "surrender feelers" through priest acquaintances.

However, the secretary clarified that this information has not been verified.

"Not exactly, it's like he's trying to connect, he wants dialogue with us. But of course that's not verified. It's like someone just mentioned it, relayed by a friend of a friend," Remulla said.

[“Not exactly, parang nagpa-pakonekta, gusto ng dialogue sa amin pero of course that’s not verified, parang nagsabi pa lang, sinabi ng kaibigan ng kaibigan na pinaparating,”]

Despite the unconfirmed nature of the information, the secretary emphasized that the government is taking any indication of dialogue from the former legislator seriously.

Co was last monitored in Portugal, where he reportedly already has a Portuguese passport.

The former congressman has been implicated in the flood control corruption scandal and is among those facing charges related to anomalous infrastructure projects.

Authorities continue to monitor Co's whereabouts as legal proceedings move forward against individuals involved in the alleged multi-billion peso scheme.