Philippines lawmakers met on Tuesday to decide whether to advance impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is accused of betraying public trust, corruption and violating the constitution.

Marcos, who is midway through his six year term and denies any wrongdoing, faces two separate impeachment complaints filed by a lawyer and a group of activists. Both complaints cleared an initial procedural hurdle on Monday after the House justice committee ruled they were sufficient in form.

The committee reconvened on Tuesday to determine whether the complaints had enough substance to proceed. Its decision will be submitted to a vote in the lower house of Congress, which is dominated by lawmakers allied with the president.

If the House votes to impeach Marcos, he would become only the second Philippines president to face impeachment, after Joseph Estrada in 2001. Estrada’s trial was later aborted after prosecutors walked out of the proceedings.

Complaints Cite Duterte Arrest And Spending Issues

One of the complaints centres on Marcos’ decision to allow his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, to be arrested and transferred to The Hague. Duterte faces trial at the International Criminal Court over thousands of deaths linked to his controversial war on drugs.

Marcos is also accused of abusing his authority in the use of public funds, allegations that stem from a corruption scandal involving flood control projects. In addition, one complaint claims that Marcos’ alleged drug use, which he has denied, made him unfit to govern.

The president’s office said Marcos respects the impeachment process and maintains his innocence.

“Even before, the president already said he did not do anything wrong, did not violate the law and did not commit an impeachable offence,” presidential press officer Claire Castro told reporters on Monday.

Next Steps In The Impeachment Process

Should the House approve the impeachment complaints, the case would be transmitted to the Senate for trial. The Senate’s 24 members would sit as jurors and decide whether to convict and remove the president from office.

Only one official in Philippines history, a former chief justice, has been convicted and removed following impeachment. Five senior officials, including presidents and justices, have faced impeachment proceedings over the years.

Justice committee chair Gerville Luistro said lawmakers must determine whether the alleged acts rise to the level of impeachable offences.

“It’s not enough that an impeachable official committed wrongdoing. That wrongdoing must constitute an impeachable offence,” Luistro said in an interview with broadcaster Teleradyo.

He added that if the committee votes to advance the complaints, Marcos would be given the opportunity to respond formally to the allegations. At least one third of the House must back the move for impeachment to proceed.

Political Tensions Deepen

The proceedings come amid broader political tensions in Manila. Marcos’ estranged Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of the former president, previously faced an impeachment bid that was struck down by the Supreme Court last year. She now faces new impeachment complaints and has also denied wrongdoing.

Analysts say any impeachment effort against Marcos faces long odds given the dominance of his allies in the lower house. Still, the process has added pressure on the administration and injected uncertainty into the country’s political landscape.

For now, lawmakers remain divided as the justice committee weighs whether the accusations against the president warrant the next step in the impeachment process.

With inputs from Reuters