Caucus on VP Sara Duterte impeachment voting threshold expected Monday --Ejercito

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Senator-judges are expected to have a meeting on Monday regarding the voting threshold needed to either convict or acquit Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial, according to Senator JV Ejercito.

"Malamang may caucus bukas [ukol sa isyu ng voting threshold]. Siguro pag-uusapan kung pagbobotohan ito o 'yung presiding officer na lang through our consesus," Ejercito told Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

(There will likely be a caucus on Monday regarding the issue of the voting threshold. Perhaps we will discuss whether this should be put to a vote or whether the presiding officer can decide through consensus.)

Earlier this week, senator-judges had asked amici curiae — former Supreme Court (SC) chief justices Artemio Panganiban, Hilario Davide, and Reynato Puno, and retired Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna — for their insights on whether the senators that are detained, on the run and those abroad should be included in the voting to impeach or acquit Duterte.

Panganiban, Davide, and Puno said the Senate impeachment court can change the 16-vote threshold for conviction, adding that the Senate has authority to try and decide impeachment cases.

They said the constitutional voting threshold required to convict an impeachable official should be based on the number of senator-judges who actively participated in the impeachment trial of Duterte.

However, Azcuna, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, offered a different view that the two-thirds concurrence requirement should relate to the entire membership of the Senate, hence a conviction by 16 senator-judges is needed.

Currently, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are detained over separate plunder charges, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is in hiding amid an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, and Senator Loren Legarda has been on leave for weeks due to health concerns, and is currently abroad. —KG, GMA News