Rowegie Abanto

Lawyer Benjamin Tolosa, a legal spokesperson for the panel of prosecutors, said the impeachment court might want to rethink its conviction threshold ruling, as some senator-judges skip the impeachment trial. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Commission on Audit (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office Supervising Auditor Xylene May del Campo answers questions from defense lawyer Atty. Kristine Ferrer during the cross-examination on the 15th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2026.
The cross-examination focused on COA’s findings related to the disbursement and utilization of confidential and intelligence funds.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VP Sara Impeachment - Day 15

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/178705085439820260812-senate-impeachment-day15-xylene-del-campo-MT9.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Benjamin Tolosa, a legal spokesperson for the panel of prosecutors, said the impeachment court might revisit its conviction threshold ruling as some senator-judges skip the impeachment trial. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — It may be &quot;reasonable&quot; to think that the Senate court may revisit its ruling on conviction threshold in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte following absences of some senator-judges, a prosecution spokesperson said Tuesday.</p><p>The constitution says a two-third vote of all members of the 24-seat Senate is needed to convict an impeached official.</p><p>Trial presiding officer Francis Escudero had said that the threshold for conviction remained at 16, even as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=903986699446101">one senator was in hiding</a> while <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/20/escudero-marcoleta-says-he-can-vote-in-impeachment-trial-while-detained-1858">two other senators were detained </a>over plunder charges.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/29/house-prosecution-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial-conviction-threshold-1149">Amid debate on lowering conviction threshold, prosecution vows to present &#x27;compelling&#x27; case vs VP Duterte</a></div><p>But Benjamin Tolosa, a registered counsel in the trial who also serves as a legal spokesperson for the panel of prosecutors, said the impeachment court might rethink the ruling as some senator-judges skip the impeachment trial.</p><p>&quot;At the start, it was clear the presiding officer said his interpretation of the two-thirds requirements means 16. It&#x27;s a strict interpretation,&quot; Tolosa said.</p><p>&quot;But kung ganito ‘yung nangyayaring realidad na napakaraming hindi nakakapag-attend personally... tingin ko reasonable hong isipin na baka isang maging factor ito for them to consider kung tama ho &#x27;yung original position na they took on that matter,&quot; he added.</p><p>Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, a House prosecution spokesperson, reminded senator-judges that the constitution &quot;demands&quot; the members of the Senate to &quot;try and decide&quot; impeachment cases.</p><p>&quot;Mas maigi po at mas makakatulong sa pag-maintain at pag-promote ng integrity ng proceeding ng impeachment trial kung sila po mismo ang nandoon at sila po mismo nag-oobserba at nakikinig at nag-assess at nag-evaluate ng mga ebidensiya, including the testimony of the witnesses by physically present during each and every trial date,&quot; Adiong said.</p><p>In July, Rep. Leila de Lima, House impeachment prosecutor, said the debate on conviction threshold was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/impeachment-conviction-threshold-not-yet-ripe-for-sc-challenge-de-lima-1602">&quot;not yet ripe&quot; to be raised before the Supreme Court</a>.</p><p>De Lima said the high court could take up on the case if fewer than 16 senators vote to convict Duterte.</p><p>Ahead of the formal start of Duterte&#x27;s trial, some argued that the number of votes to convict Duterte could be lowered because of the absences of some senators.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/19/bato-as-fugitive-makes-15-votes-enough-to-impeach-vp-duterte-expert-1058">Bato as &#x27;fugitive&#x27; makes 15 votes enough to convict VP Duterte—expert</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>WATCH:</strong></div><div><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/Atxdjyt7M3g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>It may be "reasonable" to think that the Senate court may revisit its ruling on conviction threshold in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte following absences of some senator-judges, a prosecution spokesperson said Tuesday.</p>

It may be "reasonable" to think that the Senate court may revisit its ruling on conviction threshold in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte following absences of some senator-judges, a prosecution spokesperson said Tuesday.

Absences of some senator-judges may prompt Senate court to revisit conviction threshold, prosecution says

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Absences of some senator-judges may prompt Senate court to revisit conviction threshold, prosecution says

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 18, 2026 07:17 PM PHT

|

Updated August 18, 2026 07:26 PM PHT

Read More:

Conviction Threshold

Benjamin Tolosa

Sara Duterte

Impeachment Trial

Senate Trial

Sara Duterte Trial

Senate

Impeachment

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