Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

The Senate opens the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, convening as an impeachment court on Monday, July 6, 2026, with 21 senators present in the session hall. Senator-judges, led by Senate President Win Gatchalian, entered past 2 p.m. wearing Oxford crimson robes. Members of the House prosecution panel and Duterte’s defense team also took their places in the plenary. The trial begins with four articles of impeachment against Duterte, which cover the alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery of Department of Education officials, and grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family. Joseph B. Vidal, Senate Social Media Unit

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VP Sara Impeachment

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178373363118820260709-senate-impeachment-day3-WA-31.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Senator Panfilo Lacson during the third day of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, July 8. Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Panfilo Lacson during the third day of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, July 8. <em>Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA – Senator Panfilo Lacson on Saturday said the Senate impeachment court should settle early the issue on the constitutional threshold required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte, as he believes that the matter should be resolved before the trial reaches the judgment stage to avoid legal complications.</p><p>The senator&#x27;s remarks came after the impeachment court wrapped up its first week of proceedings, which focused largely on procedural issues instead of the presentation of evidence against Duterte.</p><p>During the <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/7/impeachment-court-tackles-duterte-s-alleged-threat-vs-marcos-1513">first</a> three hearing days, senator-judges <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/senate-impeachment-court-elects-escudero-as-presiding-officer-1448">elected</a> Sen. Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero as presiding officer, formally adopted the Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials, and resolved several preliminary motions, including questions on the presiding officer, the number of votes required for conviction, and motions filed by both the prosecution and defense. </p><p>Lacson said he agrees that 16 votes are needed to convict Duterte, stressing that the constitutional threshold should be settled before the impeachment court reaches a verdict.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung 16, sumasang-ayon ako doon. Cinlarify ko naman noong tumayo ako dahil hindi ko naman kinekuwestiyon &#x27;yong 16 na threshold. Ang tinatanong ko lang, kina-clarify ko kasi ang nakapaloob sa opening statement ni Sen. Chiz,&quot; he said.</p><p>The issue arose after senator-judges discussed whether the required two-thirds vote should be based on the Senate&#x27;s full membership of 24 or only on members able to participate in the trial.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/impeachment-conviction-threshold-not-yet-ripe-for-sc-challenge-de-lima-1602">Impeachment conviction threshold &#x27;not yet ripe&#x27; for SC challenge—De Lima</a></div><p>Lacson maintained that the Constitution refers to all 24 senators.</p><p>&quot;Kapag sinabing all members of the Senate, that&#x27;s 24. At ako, ang aking pananaw, sa ngayon ay miyembro pa naman sila,&quot; he said.</p><p>Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are detained at the Sandiganbayan over separate, non-bailable plunder charges.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/cayetano-wants-marcoleta-jinggoy-at-duterte-impeachment-trial-1748">Cayetano wants Marcoleta, Jinggoy at Duterte impeachment trial</a></div><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/10/sandiganbayan-consolidates-plunder-gift-receipt-cases-vs-marcoleta-1029">Sandiganbayan consolidates plunder, &#x27;gift receipt&#x27; cases vs Marcoleta</a></div><p>He cited previous Supreme Court jurisprudence involving former Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, when the Court still based the computation on the Senate&#x27;s full membership despite a vacancy.</p><p>Still, Lacson acknowledged that anyone questioning the interpretation could elevate the issue to the Supreme Court.</p><p>&quot;So kung sino man &#x27;yong interesado para linawin o kuwestiyunin sa Korte Suprema &#x27;yong threshold na bilang, karapatan nila &#x27;yon. At karapatan din ng Korte Suprema na i-interpret ang ating Saligang Batas,&quot; he said.</p><p>Lacson said settling the issue early would avoid a &quot;messy&quot; situation in which the impeachment court renders a final judgment only for questions on the voting threshold to be raised afterward.</p><p>&quot;So para sa akin, mas mainam nang maagap pa lamang ay ma-settle na ito once and for all bago kami mag-render ng aming desisyon, whether to convict or to acquit, ay maliwanag na sa amin &#x27;yung bilang, two-thirds,&quot; he said.</p><p>The impeachment court earlier ruled that 16 affirmative votes are needed to convict Duterte, equivalent to two-thirds of the Senate&#x27;s 24 members. The issue surfaced after some senator-judges questioned whether the required votes should be adjusted if members are absent or unable to participate in portions of the trial.</p><p>Lacson also said senators who abstain or fail to vote would effectively count against conviction because the Constitution specifically requires 16 votes to convict.</p><p>&quot;Ang abstention, ang bilang niyan ay acquittal. Kasi sa Constitution, sinasabi naman na two-thirds vote para mag-convict. Hindi naman sinabing nine votes to acquit,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>REFRAIN PUBLIC AMONITIONS</strong></div><p>Lacson also said impeachment court spokesperson Atty. Regie Tongol should refrain from publicly reminding senator-judges about commenting on the merits of the case.</p><p>The remarks came after Tongol reminded members of the impeachment court to observe Rule 18 of the Senate Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials, which bars senator-judges from making public statements that could indicate bias while the trial is ongoing.</p><p>&quot;We should be responsible enough. Dapat conscious kami lagi na hindi kami puwedeng magpahayag, even sa mga interview na kagaya nito o mismo doon sa trial, na magpo-project na kami ay panig sa prosecution o di kaya ay panig sa depensa,&quot; Lacson said.</p><p>However, he said reminders should be discussed internally during caucus instead of being made publicly by the court&#x27;s spokesperson.</p><p>&quot;Noong nabasa namin &#x27;yong pahayag ng aming spokesperson, I think we should not have done that. With due respect to Atty. Tongol, &#x27;yong aming spokesperson. Kasi spokesperson lang siya ng impeachment court. Nagsasalita siya on behalf of all senators,” he said.</p><p>&quot;Kung halimbawa mayroon sa aming nakapagsalita, i-take up na lang dapat namin &#x27;yon sa aming caucus. Huwag na niyang ipahayag sa publiko, parang pinagsasabihan niya &#x27;yong senator-judges,&quot; he added.</p><p>Lacson said Tongol, as spokesperson of the impeachment court, should avoid commenting on the statements or behavior of individual senator-judges.</p><p>&quot;I think he should refrain, at the very least, from commenting kung ano man &#x27;yong naging behavior o naging pahayag ng isa o ilan sa mga senator-judges. I think that&#x27;s uncalled for. Kasi hindi naman siya kritiko. Spokesperson siya namin,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WEEK 2 OF IMPEACHMENT TRIAL </strong></div><p>Lacson said the impeachment court is expected to tackle several major motions when hearings resume on Monday.</p><p>Among these are Senator Alan Peter Cayetano&#x27;s unresolved motion asking the impeachment court to write the Sandiganbayan regarding detained Sen. Estrada&#x27;s participation in the proceedings, as well as possible subpoenas for bank records and Bureau of Internal Revenue records.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/10/sandiganbayan-rejects-jinggoy-s-bid-to-attend-vp-sara-impeachment-trial-0842">Sandiganbayan rejects Jinggoy&#x27;s bid to attend VP Sara impeachment trial</a></div><p>Lacson reiterated that he does not support the impeachment court writing to the Sandiganbayan because it could be viewed as interfering in judicial proceedings, although he said the motion should still be resolved by the senator-judges.</p><p>&quot;Sa akin, &#x27;yong sinasabi kong parang nai-spare na kami from that responsibility. Naunahan na kasi ng motion at na-deny na &#x27;yong motion. But that&#x27;s only my opinion. Dapat i-take up pa rin namin sa caucus para mapagbotohan,&quot; he said.</p><p>He also expects discussions on subpoenas for bank records and BIR records, which could become key issues before the presentation of evidence begins.</p><p>&quot;Pangalawa, aabot kami doon sa pag-subpoena ng bank records, pagbubukas o pagsuri ng BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) records, at saka kung i-susubpoena ba o hindi,&quot; he said.</p><p>Lacson said major legal issues should first be discussed during caucus instead of being immediately ruled upon on the Senate floor, allowing both parties and senator-judges to submit memoranda before the impeachment court votes.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;d like to think na i-defer na lang muna &#x27;yong ruling. Pag na-submit na namin &#x27;yong mga memoranda, &#x27;yong mga panel sa kanilang posisyon at kami mismo, i-take up namin sa caucus. Ganyan ang ginawa namin noong panahon ng impeachment ni Chief Justice Corona,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tPborQsl9AQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Senator Panfilo Lacson on Saturday said the Senate impeachment court should settle early the issue on the constitutional threshold required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the matter should be resolved before the trial reaches the judgment stage to avoid legal complications.</p>

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Saturday said the Senate impeachment court should settle early the issue on the constitutional threshold required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the matter should be resolved before the trial reaches the judgment stage to avoid legal complications.

Threshold issue should be settled early, Lacson says

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Threshold issue should be settled early, Lacson says

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 11, 2026 09:52 AM PHT

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Impeachment

Sara Duterte

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Ping Lacson

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