Senate has final say on VP Sara conviction threshold, says House adviser

The Senate impeachment court itself must resolve the disputed number of votes needed to convict Vice President Sara Z. Duterte because the Constitution gives the Senate the sole power to try and decide impeachment cases, House impeachment team adviser and spokesperson Ace Barbers said Friday. Barbers said the competing interpretations presented by participants in the impeachment trial show that the Senate must make the final determination. He cited Article XI, Section 4 of the Constitution, which states that two-thirds of the impeachment jurors are needed to convict, but discussions have arisen regarding the definition of this "two-thirds." The issue raises political tensions in the Philippines as the possibility of impeaching the Vice President is being discussed. Impeachment proceedings are a crucial mechanism for addressing misconduct in public office, but their implementation is often subject to political maneuvering. Barbers' statement is seen as an attempt to reaffirm the Senate's supremacy in the impeachment trial process and to quell political uncertainty. Impeachment trials in the Philippines have led to the removal of high-ranking officials in the past, and their processes and outcomes have always drawn public attention. Especially since the Vice President holds a position second only to the President, their fate is directly linked to the country's political stability, making this discussion even more significant.