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Senate Impeachment Court Adjusts Conviction Threshold for Sara Duterte

The Senate impeachment court has lowered the conviction threshold required in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, rejecting an earlier motion to maintain a higher requirement.

23 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Senate Impeachment Court Adjusts Conviction Threshold for Sara Duterte — Photo: Senate of the Philippines through · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

The Senate impeachment court in the Philippines voted on Wednesday to adjust the threshold for conviction in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The vote was 13-6-1 against a motion raised by Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano to defer the decision on the threshold requirement.

The court has decided that the two-thirds guilty verdict, traditionally set at 16 votes, now only pertains to those senator-judges 'capable of participating.' This ruling comes after a motion by Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo, which sought to reconsider the previous understanding of the voting threshold.

Senator Cayetano's motion aimed to delay the voting on the threshold, arguing for the necessity of maintaining the original requirement of 16 votes. His motion was ultimately rejected, allowing the court to proceed with the amended threshold rule.

According to the Senate court's decision, the adjusted threshold now stands at 14 votes for conviction. This ruling represents a significant change from the earlier determination made by presiding officer Chiz Escudero that required 16 votes.

The court's revised ruling has been met with various reactions as it determines who can participate in the voting process regarding Duterte's impeachment. Specific conditions have been laid out by Presiding Officer Escudero on who will not be eligible to vote once the case moves forward.

House prosecutor Chel Diokno stated that the new threshold can only be challenged in the Supreme Court if the senator-judges convict Vice President Duterte. This remark followed discussions regarding whether the Senate impeachment court or the Supreme Court should adjudicate such matters.

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