Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri indicated on Thursday, September 3, that multiple lawmakers have raised concerns regarding the official mandate requiring at least 16 senator-judges to vote for conviction in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Zubiri noted that the issue could be formally addressed in the Senate chamber in the coming days.
”It may come up sooner or later,” Zubiri said in a press conference.
”That issue has to be answered soon enough by the Presiding Officer,” he added.
Presiding Officer and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero previously confirmed on the trial’s second day that the 16-vote baseline became a binding rule after no senator-judges raised objections.
Escudero defended the number as a literal interpretation of the constitutional requirement mandating a two-thirds vote of all Senate members.
Zubiri revealed that reviewing this numerical threshold was brought up during a Senate caucus. He noted that changes in the composition of the Senate prompt a re-evaluation of what constitutes two-thirds of the active tribunal.
”Ngayon kasi mayroong mga nasa kulungan, yung isa at-large. So I think that’s the issue now. When the presiding officer made that ruling, we still had a complete state,” he said.
When asked directly if members of the upper chamber are exploring a reduction of the required conviction threshold, Zubiri responded affirmatively.
”Yes.”
He noted that any modification to the voting criteria would likely face a challenge before the Supreme Court and stressed that any formal debates regarding the matter must take place publicly.