MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian will convene a caucus of the majority bloc to discuss the appropriate voting threshold for the conviction or acquittal of Vice President Sara Duterte, as the impeachment court prepares to decide the case before the end of the year.
Gatchalian said in an interview that he expected the majority to decide the scheduled vote next week, underscoring the urgency of resolving the issue ahead of the trial’s verdict.
The Senate’s decision will determine whether the impeachment court will retain its ruling requiring 16 votes to convict or acquit Duterte or adopt another interpretation of the constitutional two-thirds requirement.
The 1987 Constitution, under Article XI, Section 3(6), provides that no person shall be convicted in an impeachment trial without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.
The provision has triggered a debate over whether the required votes should be fixed at 16, representing two-thirds of the 24-member Senate, or whether the threshold could vary depending on the number of senators participating in the vote.
The Senate minority bloc has maintained that the ruling of Presiding Officer Francis Escudero, requiring a two-thirds vote of all senators in accordance with the Constitution, must be implemented.
The minority’s position effectively supports retaining the 16-vote requirement for conviction.
The issue was further examined during the impeachment court’s Sept. 16 hearing, when four retired Supreme Court justices appeared as amici curiae, or friends of the court, to provide legal guidance on the voting threshold.
