Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<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/1783496576469Screen Shot 2026-07-07 at 8.24.12 AM (13).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">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. <em>Joseph B. Vidal, Senate Social Media Unit/File</em></span></span></span>MANILA — The voting threshold for getting a conviction in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is “not yet ripe” to be raised before the Supreme Court, according to House impeachment prosecutor Rep. Leila de Lima.</div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/senate-impeachment-court-elects-escudero-as-presiding-officer-1448">Senate impeachment court elects Escudero as presiding officer</a></div><p>De Lima believes it will only ripen if less than 16 senators vote to convict Duterte.</p><p>Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero earlier said the threshold for conviction remains at 16, even when one senator is in hiding, and two other senators have been detained over plunder charges.</p><p>Under the 1987 Constitution “no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate”.</p><p>De Lima said the prosecution is discussing its next move on the matter.</p><p>“The issue of the voting threshold or the issue of whether conviction requires the absolute minimum of 16 is, to us, still premature, not yet ripe for adjudication.</p><p>Wala pa talagang controversy d’yan. At this stage, hindi pa ripe, hilaw pa, hindi pa hinog,” she said.</p><p>“Ang pinaka-crucial na period is either magbobotohan na or nakaboto na. Kasi lalu na ‘pag nakaboto na and assuming hindi makakuha ng 16, because of those special circumstances na may ilan-ilang mga miyembro na hindi man lang nakapag-participate kasi nga of their respective situations na outside of the coercive powers of the Senate. Magiging justiciable controversy ‘yan kung halimbawa ang makakaboto is less than 16,” De Lima added.</p><p>Lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro does not share Escudero’s view on the voting threshold, but said the House prosecution has yet to discuss whether they will raise the matter before the High Court.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/escudero-warns-prosecution-defense-against-making-concluding-remarks-1442">Escudero warns prosecution, defense against making &#x27;concluding remarks&#x27;</a></div><p>Asked whether such move is an “option” for the prosecution, Luistro gave this response:</p><p>“It’s not just an option for the House, it’s everybody’s option. We haven’t discussed it… Although for myself… I’m not aligned with the position of the impeachment court. But that is just my personal opinion. It doesn’t bind the prosecution,” Luistro said.</p><p>Prosecution spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa also said raising the matter before the Supreme Court is a “remedy” available to the prosecution, but stressed that it is “not a priority”.</p><p>“In the realm of possibilities, that’s a remedy that’s available to us under the law and under the rules. But… are we discussing it at this moment? We’re not. Is that our priority? It’s not. Our priority is to continue to present evidence before the impeachment court,” he said.</p><p>“As to the legal steps that we may take regarding this matter, it’s still under deliberations, discussions by the panel of prosecutors,” Tolosa added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NnAkoj9Ooss?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LUUVyeQdbio?&amp;t=13s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i92V7yJuwzA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The voting threshold for getting a conviction in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is “not yet ripe” to be raised before the Supreme Court, according to House impeachment prosecutor Rep. Leila de Lima.</p>

The voting threshold for getting a conviction in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is “not yet ripe” to be raised before the Supreme Court, according to House impeachment prosecutor Rep. Leila de Lima.

Impeachment conviction threshold 'not yet ripe' for SC challenge—De Lima

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Impeachment conviction threshold 'not yet ripe' for SC challenge—De Lima

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 08, 2026 04:02 PM PHT

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