Julia Christine Botin

Escudero: 16 senators needed to convict Sara Duterte

Article (news)

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — (UPDATED) Senate President Francis Escudero on Thursday said 16 senators are required to convict an impeachable official, even if there are only 23 senators now due to the resignation of now Education Secretary Sonny Angara.&quot;Still of 24 because always favorable to the accused. So, there&#x27;s already one favorable vote in the 19th Congress sa impeachable officer because that officer cannot vote in favor of the impeachment to comprise two-thirds,&quot; Escudero said. &quot;16 pa rin.&quot;He has no problem with senators whose relatives in the House of Representatives signed the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.&quot;Ang pag-inhibit ng huwes sa rules of court man o sa rules of impeachment ay voluntary sa parte niya. Walang proseso para pwersahang ipainhibit sa pamamagitan ng botohan ang sino mang hukom sa anumang paglilitis. So kung meron mang ganyang pagkakataon, decision niya,&quot; Escudero said.&quot;Pero babaliktarin ko. O di kung may posisyon pala yung pumirma, may posisyon din ba yung hindi pumirma na kailangan din mag-inhibit yung kamag-anak nun? Hindi naman siguro, di ba? Bakit nyo sasabihin kailangan lang mag-inhibit yung pumirma? Bakit hindi nyo sasabihin dapat mag-inhibit yan yung hindi pumirma? It cuts both ways. But for me, it&#x27;s a purely voluntary act whether an impeachment judge will inhibit himself or herself.&quot;&quot;&quot;It cuts both ways, remember. You referred to carrot politics, but given that it&#x27;s election time, those who signed may have been blinded by that. May, I&#x27;m not saying that they were. But what about those who did not sign? Weren&#x27;t they motivated by politics as well? It is a political process,&quot; he said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/6/after-uphill-battle-to-impeach-vp-sara-makabayan-says-trial-will-be-up-a-mountain-1610">After uphill battle to impeach VP Sara, Makabayan says trial will be ‘up a mountain’</a></div>&quot;So it&#x27;s unfair to accuse only those who signed of politics and not those who did not sign. They were both engaged,&quot; he added.Escudero hopes voters can ask running lawmakers on debates whether they agree or not to impeach Duterte, as a possible basis if they adhere to the preferred candidates of the voters.&quot;If this will be an election issue, then so be it. Hindi ba maganda &#x27;yun? At least may valid election issue na pwede mo talagang tanungin sa mga kandidato. Na pwede pagbasihan ng ating mga botante kung ibaboto nga ba nila o hindi,&quot; he argued.While seeing that the impeachment case will be an election issue, Escudero said the public should not be afraid of the process.&quot;This is a legal constitutional process. Hindi natin dapat ito ikatakot o ikabahala. May eleksyon man, wala mang eleksyon. May SONA man, walamang SONA. Ito&#x27;y constitutional process na tinalaga ng ating saligang batas para mapayapang maresolbahan anumang hindi natin pagkakaunawaan o para magawa yung gusto nating magawa,&quot; he explained.&quot;Ngayon, ang problema lang, syempre, issue siya, so tatanungin ng mga tao.Kung boboto kita, anong boto mo sa impeachment? Di ba? Sa kabilang banda, kailangan maghunos dili naman din sila.... Kung may desisyon na agad sila, hindi pa nga napapakinggan yung ebidensya,&quot; he continued.Escudero also advised running senators to be cautious of their opinions on the matter and only give statements that are based on facts.&quot;Ang pinakamaganda siguro pwedeng masabi ay tatayuan nila kung anong tama, nararapat, naayon sa hostisya, batas at ebidensya. Kung san man siya ituro nun. Sapat na siguro ang kasagutan yun kesa, ah pag ako nanalo, acquit talaga yan. Ah pag ako nanalo, convict talaga yan. I hope they will avoid those things,&quot; he added.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/5/house-impeaches-vp-sara-duterte-1551">House impeaches VP Sara Duterte</a></div>

Senate President Francis Escudero on THursday said 16 senators are required to convict an impeachable official, even if there are only 23 senators now due to the resignation of now Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

Senate President Francis Escudero on THursday said 16 senators are required to convict an impeachable official, even if there are only 23 senators now due to the resignation of now Education Secretary Sonny Angara.