Senate votes to lower conviction threshold in Duterte impeachment trial

MANILA — The Senate impeachment court on Wednesday approved a procedural change that lowers the bar for conviction in Vice President Sara Duterte's ongoing impeachment trial. In a 13-1 vote, the court ruled that the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority would be computed exclusively from senators who are legally and factually capable of participating in the proceedings, rather than the full Senate membership.

The decision represents a significant shift in how the conviction threshold is applied in impeachment cases. Under the traditional interpretation, a two-thirds majority would be calculated against all 24 senators. The new ruling effectively reduces the denominator to only those senators present and eligible to vote, which could substantially lower the number of affirmative votes needed to convict.

This procedural determination comes as Duterte faces impeachment charges brought by opposition lawmakers earlier this year. The change in how votes are counted could have substantial implications for the trial's outcome, though voting patterns among senators remain uncertain.

The impeachment court's decision underscores ongoing constitutional questions about how Philippine impeachment proceedings should be conducted. Legal experts have offered differing interpretations of the Charter's impeachment provisions, with the Senate's latest ruling now establishing the court's official position on vote calculation methodology.

The trial is expected to continue with the new voting framework in place, as senators proceed through the presentation of evidence and arguments from both the prosecution and defense teams.