MANILA, Philippines – Nilinaw ni Acting Senate President at Senate President Pro-Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian na kailangan magkaroon ng 16 boto ng miyembro ng Senado upang mapatunayang guilty si Vice President Sara Duterte sa impeachment trial.
Sa press conference nitong umaga ng Miyerkoles, sinabi ni Gatchalian, tatayong presiding office ng Impeachment Court, na nakatakda sa Saligang Batas na kailangan 16 boto ang magpapa-convict kay Duterte kahit ilan ang bilang ng kasalukuyang mambabatas.
“The two-thirds vote required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte in the ongoing impeachment trial is a constitutional mandate and unaffected by any internal Senate leadership arrangement or dispute,” ayon kay Gatchalian.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, nakatakda ito sa “Article XI, Section 3(6) of the 1987 Constitution states unequivocally that no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.”
“With the Senate’s membership fixed at 24, the conviction threshold is 16 votes, and it will remain 16 votes regardless of how many senators attend the trial, which bloc controls the chamber, or who presides over the impeachment court,” aniya.
Itinakda nag pre-trial conference sa June 18 na inaatasan ang magkabilang kampo, ang Duterte camp at House prosecution panel na magsumite ng pre-trial briefs sa June 15 at magsisimula ang trial proper sa July 6, 2026.
“The process is on track. The rules are clear. And the constitutional threshold — 16 votes, will be faithfully observed. Malinaw ang Saligang Batas. Ang ating tungkulin ay sundin ang Konstitusyon, at iyon ang aming gagawin,” ani Gatchalian.
Kinasuhan ng pitong Articles of Impeachment si Vice President Duterte hinggil sa paglulustya ng confidential funds, pagbabanta sa Unang Pamilya, betrayal of public trust at iba pa. Ernie Reyes
