Prosecution Panel Spokesperson and former Representative Robert Ace Barbers clarified that the Senate’s rejection of a rigid 16-vote threshold does not alter the constitutional two-thirds rule in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Barbers explained that the two-thirds requirement remains intact but is applied against the 20 participating senators rather than the full 24-member Senate complement, following the exclusion of four senators facing legal proceedings or extended absences.
Under the revised calculation, 14 votes are required for a conviction, while seven votes are necessary to secure an acquittal.
