Philippine Senate’s lowering of voting threshold raises stakes for Sara Duterte
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte prepares to leave the Quezon City Regional Trial Court after the postponement of her arraignment in Quezon City, Philippines, on Sept. 11. | REUTERS
Sep 23, 2026
Sara Duterte, the impeached vice president of the Philippines, is facing an increasing risk of a conviction and a lifetime ban on politics after the Senate lowered the vote threshold for a guilty verdict.
A motion on Wednesday cleared the Senate, where she’s on trial, so that the constitutional requirement for a two-thirds vote to convict covers only the votes of those present, not all 24 members.
Two Duterte-aligned senators, Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, have both been arrested on corruption charges. Another staunch Senate ally, Ronald dela Rosa, is in hiding to avoid an international arrest warrant. And Sen. Loren Legarda, meanwhile, is on extended medical leave while she faces a probe over energy contracts.
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