Philippines Senate impeachment court updates voting rule for Sara Duterte trial

The Senate impeachment court has adopted a new voting rule regarding the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The ruling changes how the denominator is calculated for the required two-thirds vote by excluding senators who are unable to participate at the time of the verdict.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian and Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros clarified that the constitutional requirement of a two-thirds majority remains intact. Gatchalian stated that the issue pertains to the voting base when certain members cannot participate, rather than a lowering of the constitutional threshold itself.

The change provides the prosecution with a more viable path toward a potential conviction, as the threshold is now based only on senators who are legally and factually capable of performing their duties. Hontiveros emphasized that the absence of certain senators should not paralyze the institution or its ability to represent the Filipino people.