Manila: The prosecution on Friday welcomed the reported talks among senator-judges on the vote needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte in her Senate impeachment trial. The discussions were revealed on Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.
According to Philippines News Agency, prosecution spokesman and impeachment adviser Ace Barbers told an online news conference that the talks are important, but the prosecution holds the view that the matter has not evolved into a 'justiciable issue' that can be resolved by the Supreme Court. Barbers emphasized the significance of the discussions, noting that while it is crucial for senator-judges to deliberate on the matter, the prosecution believes it is not yet the appropriate time to elevate the issue to the Supreme Court, as no controversy or injury has occurred that warrants such action.
Barbers further explained that the Supreme Court will not address the matter until there is an actual controversy or injury to any of the parties involved. He expressed that the senator-judges' talks are important because they could potentially pave the way for the threshold vote question to become a justiciable issue, allowing it to be brought before the Supreme Court for final interpretation.
Barbers pointed out the timeliness of the discussions, as the prosecution is nearing the finish line in presenting its evidence against the Vice President. He noted that discussions on the threshold are unavoidable given the approaching end of the trial, with two articles already completed and the second nearing completion next week, followed by the third and fourth articles.
The Constitution mandates a two-thirds vote of all senators, or 16 out of 24, to convict the Vice President. Impeachment court presiding Senator-judge Francis Escudero reiterated this requirement at the start of the trial in July. Barbers mentioned that some interest groups are planning to question Escudero's pronouncement before the Supreme Court, as some senator-judges have not been attending the impeachment trial.
