Atty. Raymond Batu, legal counsel of DDS SARA ALL Confederation, clarified that Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bato dela Rosa remain senators despite the current situation regarding their positions.
He emphasized that 16 votes, or two-thirds of all 24 Senate members, are still required to impeach an official. He added that Estrada’s preventive suspension is only a measure to prevent interference with evidence and does not equate to removing him as senator.
Despite statements from other lawmakers, Batu stressed that the constitutional denominator cannot be altered just to suit personal political agendas.
Thus, he called for formal guidance from the Supreme Court to ensure proper interpretation of the law and avoid public confusion.
