Senate President Win Gatchalian announced on Wednesday, September 9, that the impeachment court plans to tap three to five legal scholars to clarify the required vote threshold for convicting or acquitting Vice President Sara Duterte.
The invited authorities will serve as amici curiae, or “friends of the court.” According to Gatchalian, the chamber is eyeing former chief justices, retired Supreme Court magistrates, and prominent constitutionalists to guide the senators.
“What’s important is that they are known in the field of the Constitution, known experts when it comes to the fundamental law,” Gatchalian told reporters during an ambush interview.
While withholding specific names, the Senate President noted that the legal teams involved in the trial should help recommend candidate experts.
“We hear a lot on television, we hear a lot in the media. There are many good [experts]. I just don’t want to name names because I want to leave that to the constitutional defense to give suggestions,” he explained.
The court plans to dedicate an entire session day to hear these expert insights. Senators will evaluate the arguments before establishing the official voting requirement. The amici curiae are scheduled to present on September 16, while both prosecution and defense panels must submit their written positions ahead of the Senate’s formal deliberations on September 23.
The voting controversy arose after Senator Erwin Tulfo questioned whether the calculation should strictly be based on the full 24-member Senate body if certain members cannot participate.
Gatchalian cautioned against speculating on whether the matter will reach the Supreme Court, emphasizing that any high court intervention depends on the incoming expert testimonies.
“It’s very hard to preempt. It depends on what the experts or amici curiae will explain,” he remarked.
He noted that the scholars’ insights will hold significant weight due to their deep expertise in constitutional law.
Additionally, Gatchalian highlighted that the trial timeline has shortened considerably after the prosecution trimmed its witness list, making a final verdict before December increasingly likely.