Several senators want SC to resolve impeachment vote threshold

Several senators said they want the Supreme Court (SC) to settle the matter of the threshold vote required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment case.

The issue was raised by Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who questioned how the 16-vote threshold could be reached when not all of the senators have consistently attended the trial, especially with several of his colleagues missing from the proceedings.

Sen. JV Ejercito said that it would be less work for the Senate if the SC steps in.

“Ako, kung gusto ko sana sa Supreme Court na para hindi na kami mahirapan din. Pero depende kung anong gusto ng impeachment court, ng judges. Depende mapag-uusapan on September 23. We may just have to make the decision kung sakasakali,” Ejercito said.

(Me, I would prefer it if it is with the Supreme Court so that we do not have a hard time. But it depends on what the Impeachment Court judges want. It depends on what we will talk about on September 23. We may just have to decide the case.)

On September 23, the Senate impeachment court will hold a hearing with amici curiae, or "friends of the court”. There, they will consult experts regarding the threshold requirement.

Erwin Tulfo’s brother, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, would also prefer that the SC resolve the matter.

“Kung ako, sa sarili ko, iakyat na sa Supreme Court para matapos na, let the Supreme Court decide. Para matapos kami,” Raffy Tulfo said.

(If it were me, for myself, we could raise it to the Supreme Court to have it done; let the Supreme Court decide. So that we could be done.)

Meanwhile, Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian did not disclose his own views on the matter, saying that it was difficult to preempt the court, and it would depend on what is discussed in the amicus curiae.

“Marami tayong matutunan dyan at marami tayong malalaman dahil sila pinag-aralan ito, marami rin dito ay mga experts pagdating sa konstitusyon,” Gatchalian said.

(We will learn a lot of things there and we will know more since they have studied this; we have a lot of experts when it comes to the Constitution.)

In a separate interview, Erwin Tulfo clarified that he did not want to have the threshold lowered, but he did want clarity on the matter, especially with the impeachment trial expected to end earlier after the prosecution withdrew 15 witnesses, opting to have Duterte herself attend the trial.

The younger Tulfo said that it would be better to hear from experts through the amici curiae.

“These are what I heard. Pag-uusapan pa rin namin na dalawang Chief Justice, dalawang Associate Justice, and later I will suggest na baka pwede na rin nating isama yung constitutional ng mga ika nga convenor,” Erwin Tulfo said.

(These are what I heard. We are talking about two Chief Justices, two Associate Justices, and later I will suggest that maybe we can include constitutional conveners.) —LDF, GMA News