Politics · Philippines Bureau
SC can only review impeachment voting threshold if VP Duterte convicted: Diokno
House prosecutors argue that the Supreme Court cannot review the Senate's new 14-vote conviction threshold for Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial unless the senator-judges actually vote to convict her. The position was clarified during Wednesday's impeachment proceedings.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Supreme Court can only intervene on the Senate's impeachment voting threshold if Vice President Sara Duterte is actually convicted by the senator-judges, House prosecutor Chel Diokno said Wednesday.
Diokno made the clarification after Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano raised questions about whether the Senate impeachment court or the Supreme Court should have jurisdiction over disputes regarding the conviction requirement.
The House of Representatives voted to lower the conviction threshold to 14 votes from the previous standard, a change that has sparked legal and procedural questions about its validity. Diokno's statement suggests that any constitutional challenge to this threshold would need to follow a conviction vote before the high court could review the matter.
The positioning reflects the House prosecutors' interpretation of the impeachment process timeline and the role of both the legislative and judicial branches in handling such cases. The issue remains contentious as the impeachment trial of the Vice President continues in the Senate.