PASAY CITY, Philippines — Senator Christopher “Bong” Go voiced hope that the Supreme Court will invalidate the Senate Impeachment Court’s decision to reduce the voting threshold required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte.
Go, alongside fellow Senator Robin Padilla and members of PDP-Laban, previously petitioned the High Tribunal for a status quo ante order or temporary restraining order. The legal challenge seeks to prevent both the Senate Impeachment Court and the House of Representatives from excluding any sitting senator from the constitutional vote count.
The petition directly responds to the Senate Impeachment Court’s September 23 vote, which established that the two-thirds requirement for conviction would be calculated based solely on senators able to participate “legally and factually” in the trial.
Go argued that while internal Senate rules can be revised through a simple majority, such mechanisms cannot override the explicit terms of the 1987 Constitution.
“Mula pa noon, malinaw na ang aking paninindigan: ayon sa Konstitusyon, no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate. Lahat ng miyembro po,” Go said in a statement on Wednesday, October 7.
“The bar was set high because the penalty is irreversible and grave. Ang isang senador na absent o detained ay nananatiling senador. Ang absence ay hindi vacancy. Dalawampu’t apat pa rin kami, at ang two-thirds ng dalawampu’t apat ay labing-anim,” the senator said.
Clarifying their intent, Go pointed out that the Supreme Court filing is not an attempt to settle the Vice President’s innocence or guilt, but rather a move to safeguard due process.
“Nililinaw ko: hindi po ito usapin ng guilt o innocence ni Vice President Sara Duterte. Hindi rin namin hinihiling na ipatigil ang trial—tuloy po ang paglilitis,” he further said.
“Hindi ko ipinilit ang aking pananaw sa loob ng Senado. Natalo kami sa botohan, at tinanggap namin iyon,” he stressed.
“Ngunit may tamang forum para sa ganitong usapin, at iyon ay ang Korte Suprema—ang final arbiter sa mga legal na isyu. Anuman ang maging desisyon ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman, buong respeto at pagsunod po ang aking ipagkakaloob,” he reiterated.
Go and Padilla were joined in abstaining or skipping the September 23 vote by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Sen. Imee Marcos, and Sen. Camille Villar.
Currently, four senators are not taking part in the impeachment proceedings: Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, who are detained over plunder charges; Senator Loren Legarda, who remains on extended medical leave; and Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who has been absent since an unexpected Senate leadership shuffle in June.