Former justice warns against lowering impeachment conviction threshold

MANILA — Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna urged lawmakers Wednesday to maintain the two-thirds vote requirement for conviction in Senate impeachment trials, appearing before the chamber as an amicus curiae or "friend of the court."

Azcuna argued that the Constitution explicitly requires a supermajority to convict an impeached official, with the phrase "all means all" underscoring the strict interpretation needed. Under the current framework, conviction requires the affirmative votes of at least 16 of the 24 senators sitting as an impeachment court.

The former magistrate's intervention comes amid ongoing discussions about impeachment procedures and standards in the Senate. He cautioned against lowering the conviction threshold to a simple majority, warning that such a change could undermine the constitutional protections designed to prevent arbitrary removals from office.

The position echoes longstanding judicial interpretations that impeachment, as a quasi-criminal proceeding, requires heightened procedural safeguards. Azcuna's remarks carry particular weight given his extensive experience on the nation's highest court and familiarity with constitutional jurisprudence on impeachment matters.