Impeach court to vote on conviction threshold as Cayetano motion fails

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate impeachment court will proceed to divide the floor on the voting threshold to convict Vice President Sara Duterte after majority of its members voted on Wednesday against a motion to defer doing so.

Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano, earlier, moved to defer the voting on whether the court must require 16 votes to convict Duterte.

READ: Poa: Change in vote threshold may affect provisions in Constitution

Article continues after this advertisement

Cayetano asserted that the Supreme Court should decide the matter because it involves a provision of the Constitution.

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

However, his motion failed after 13 senators-judges voted to uphold Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s prior ruling that they would instead vote on the matter.

Senator-judges Bam Aquino, Vicente Sotto III, Miguel Zubiri, Risa Hontiveros, JV Ejercito, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Joel Villanueva, Erwin and Raffy Tulfo, Kiko Pangilinan, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, and Escudero himself voted to maintain the previous ruling.

On the other hand, Cayetano was joined by his sister, Senator-judge Pia Cayetano, and Senator-judges Christopher Go, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, and Camille Villar in going against the need to vote on the threshold.