MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine legislators dismissed two impeachment complaints Wednesday against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that accused him of an array of crimes, including involvement in largescale corruption, that were all declared “insufficient in substance.”
Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte were separately facing impeachment complaints before the House of Representatives, which is dominated by the president's allies. At least two impeachment complaints have been filed against Duterte mainly for alleged corruption but it’s unclear when they would be tackled.
The two leaders were former allies that later became embroiled in bruising political disputes, deepening divisions in one of Asia’s most unwieldy democracies.
After days of deliberations, the House justice committee voted to dismiss the impeachment complaints filed by left-wing activists and a lawyer against Marcos. A majority of its 46 members argued that most of the allegations would either be difficult to validate, did not directly implicate the president or did not fall squarely under the constitutional grounds for impeachment and threw them out “for insufficiency in substance.”
One of the allegations cited a former House lawmaker, Zaldy Co, who accused the president of receiving huge kickbacks from flood control projects in videos he posted on Facebook. Co, who has been implicated in the corruption scandal, could not be located. He has denied any wrongdoing but has been hunted by the police in the country and abroad after an anti-corruption court issued a warrant for his arrest last year.
Marcos welcomed the decision. “We’re happy that the process was followed and that the lawmakers recognized the real truth,” Communications undersecretary Claire Castro said.
Renato Reyes, one of the complainants from the left-wing political alliance Bayan, said the House decision “derailed accountability.”
“We were prepared to present evidence at the next stage,” Reyes said. “What was only required at the current stage was a recital of the offenses that constitute betrayal of public trust.”
Under Philippine law, opponents seeking to impeach any top official would have to wait for a year before being allowed to seek another impeachment attempt.
Last year, the House voted to impeach the vice president and sent the case to the Senate for trial.
The Supreme Court, however, later ruled that the House violated a constitutional rule that only one impeachment case could be processed by it in a single year.
Duterte survived last year’s impeachment attempt over the legal technicality. Two groups of opponents then re-filed separate impeachment complaints against her on Monday after the one-year prohibition period lapsed.
The complaints centered on her alleged illegal use and mishandling of 612.5 million pesos ($10.3 million) in confidential funds from the vice president’s office, and also from her time as education secretary under Marcos. She has generally denied any wrongdoing but has refused to provide detailed explanations in past congressional inquiries.
Duterte’s threat in an online news conference in November 2024 to have the president, his wife and House of Representatives speaker killed by an assassin if she were killed amid their disputes was also cited in the one of the impeachment complaints.
The vice president is the daughter of ex- President Rodrigo Duterte, who oversaw bloody anti-drug crackdowns while in office from 2016 to 2022. He was arrested and detained in the Netherlands by the International Criminal Court last year for alleged crimes against humanity.
FILE - Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte speaks during the 90th anniversary of the office of the vice president on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at a hotel in Makati, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, file)
FILE - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., waves during his keynote speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
MILAN (AP) — Norwegian skier Nikolai Schirmer on Wednesday handed the International Olympic Committee a petition signed by more than 21,000 people and professional athletes who want to stop fossil fuel companies from sponsoring winter sports.
Schirmer delivered the “Ski Fossil Free” petition to the IOC's head of sustainability, Julie Duffus, at a hotel in the Italian city of Milan two days before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kick off.
The petition asks the IOC and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, FIS, to publish a report evaluating the appropriateness of fossil fuel marketing before next season. Schirmer, a filmmaker and two-time European Skier of the Year, spoke exclusively with The Associated Press outside the hotel, and said the IOC informed him that it would not allow media to witness their meeting.
“It seems like the Olympics aren’t ready to be the positive force for change that they have the potential to be,” Schirmer told the AP afterward. “So I just hope this can be a little nudge in the right direction, but we will see.”
Schirmer is a freeride skier who documents his adventures exploring Europe’s steep terrains. While freeride skiing is not currently an Olympic event, he said he felt like he needed to bring attention to fossil fuel marketing.
“The show goes on while the things you depend on to do your job — winter — is disappearing in front of your very eyes,” he said. “Not dealing with the climate crisis and not having skiing be a force for change just felt insane. We’re on the front lines.”
Burning fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – is the largest contributor to global climate change by far. As the Earth warms at a record rate, winters are shorter and milder and there is less snow globally, creating clear challenges for winter sports that depend on cold, snowy conditions. Researchers say the list of locales that could reliably host a Winter Games will shrink substantially in the coming years.
Schirmer launched his petition drive in January. He surpassed his goal of 20,000 signatures in one month, and people continue to sign.
It's a first step, he argues, much like a campaign nearly 40 years ago that led to a ban of tobacco advertising at the Games. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged every country to ban advertising from fossil fuel companies.
In his meeting on Wednesday, Schirmer said, the IOC's head of sustainability pointed to the organization's commitments to renewable energy. He said he feels that isn't enough.
The IOC told the AP in a statement that climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing sport and society. It didn’t say whether it will review fossil fuel marketing, as demanded by the petition.
Olympic partners play an important role in supporting the Games, and they include those investing in clean energy, the statement said.
FIS welcomes mobilization campaigns like this one, spokesperson Bruno Sassi said. He noted that He noted that no fossil fuel companies are partners of the FIS World Cup and FIS World Championships.
Athlete-driven environmental group “Protect Our Winters” supported the petition drive. This is the first coordinated campaign about fossil fuel advertising centered around an Olympic Games, POW's CEO Erin Sprague told the AP.
American cross-country skier and Team USA member Gus Schumacher said he signed because it starts the conversation.
“It’s short-sighted for teams and events to take money from these companies in exchange for helping them hold status as good, long-term energy producers,” he wrote in a text message.
American cross-country skier Jack Berry said he’s hopeful this is an influential step toward a systemic shift away from the industry. Berry is seeking a spot on Team USA for the Paralympics in March.
Italy's Eni, one of the world’s seven supermajor oil companies, is a “premium partner” of these Winter Games. Other oil and gas companies sponsor Olympic teams.
Eni said it's strongly committed to the energy transition, as evidenced by how it's growing its lower carbon businesses, reducing emissions and aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. And the company defended its role in the Winter Games.
“Through the partnership with the biggest event hosted by Italy in the next 20 years, Eni wants to confirm its commitment to the future of the country and to a progressively more sustainable energy system through a fair transition path,” spokesperson Roberto Albini wrote in an e-mail.
A January report found that promoting polluting companies at the Olympics will grow their businesses and lead to more greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet and melt snow cover and glacier ice. Albini disputed the emissions calculations for Eni in the Olympics Torched report.
Published by the New Weather Institute in collaboration with Scientists for Global Responsibility and Champions for Earth, the report also looks at the Games' own emissions.
“They have lots of sponsors that aren't in these sectors,” said Stuart Parkinson, executive director at Scientists for Global Responsibility. “You can get the sponsorship money you're after by focusing on those areas, much lower carbon areas. That reduces the carbon footprint.”
McDermott reported from Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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Winner Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway, centre, second placed Gus Schumacher of United States, left, and Edvin Anger of Sweden, right, celebrate on the podium after the men's sprint final classic skiing race, during the FIS Cross-Country World Cup at the Nordic Center Goms, in Geschinen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Workers set up fencing along the slopestyle course before a training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
FILE - United States' Shaun White trains before the men's halfpipe finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 11, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
Norwegian skier Nikolai Schirmer walks out of a Milan hotel, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, after privately meeting with the IOC's head of sustainability, Julie Duffus, to hand her a “ski fossil free” petition with over 20,000 signatures two days before the Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Fernanda Figueroa)
Norwegian skier Nikolai Schirmer and Protect Our Winters Italy General Manager Giorgio Garancini look over a “ski fossil free” petition with over 20,000 signatures that Schirmer privately handed to the IOC's head of sustainability, Julie Duffus, two days before the Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Milan. (AP Photo/Fernanda Figueroa)
