Addressing controversy over the impeachment trial baseline, Atty. Art Ubaub of Art and Partners clarified that Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s initial statement regarding a 16-vote requirement was an preliminary opinion rather than a final ruling,
which must be determined by the Senate majority bloc. Ubaub explained that applying the two-thirds rule to reduced attendance—such as 20 active senators—yields 13.33, which legally rounds up to 14 votes to satisfy constitutional requirements.
He expressed support for interpreting constitutional provisions in a manner that promotes justice rather than procedural technicalities.
