Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed the dismissal of the impeachment complaints against him after the House Committee on Justice declared them insufficient in form and substance, Malaca±ang said on Wednesday. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos was relieved when informed of the decision, stressing that due process was followed.

According to Philippines News Agency, the President has been confident from the start that the complaints lacked merit. "Natuwa po siya at ang sabi nga po niya ay nasunod ang proseso. At 'yun naman po ang gusto ng Pangulo - masunod ang proseso at makita ang katotohanan (He was pleased and said that due process was followed. That is what the President wants - for the process to be followed and for the truth to come out)," Castro told Palace reporters.

She said the House panel's decision showed that the President did not commit any impeachable offense. "So sa ating mga kababayan, sana po ay nakita niyo po at inisa-isa naman po ng mga mambabatas yung mga nasabing akusasyon at sana po napalinawagan na at naging maliwanag sa kanila ang lahat (So to our countrymen, we hope you saw that lawmakers went through the allegations one by one and that everything has now been clarified and made clear)," she added.

Castro also said lawmakers thoroughly discussed the allegations, which helped clarify issues surrounding the complaints. She likewise dismissed claims that the impeachment bid failed due to Marcos' influence over the House of Representatives, saying even legal experts and constitutionalists described the complaints as weak and lacking merit.

Marcos, Castro said, now wants to move forward and focus on improving the economy and uplifting the lives of Filipinos. "Pero ang sabi ng Pangulo, let's move forward dahil ang gusto po niya ngayon ay tutukan ang ekonomiya at paano nga iaangat ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino (But the President said, let's move forward because he now wants to focus on the economy and on improving the lives of every Filipino)," Castro said.

The House Committee of Justice declared the two impeachment complaints filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus and the Makabayan coalition as both insufficient in substance. During the panel's first hearing on Monday, both complaints were deemed insufficient in form.