The constitutional requirement for convicting Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial remains unchanged despite the ongoing leadership dispute within the Senate, according to Acting Senate President and Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian.
Gatchalian emphasized on June 10 that a conviction can only be secured through the approval of two-thirds of the Senate's full membership. With the chamber composed of 24 senators, that translates to 16 votes, a figure he said is fixed by the Constitution and cannot be altered by political alignments, attendance levels, or questions surrounding Senate leadership.
He pointed to Article XI, Section 3(6) of the 1987 Constitution, which explicitly requires the concurrence of two-thirds of all senators to convict an official facing impeachment. In practical terms, the threshold functions like a locked constitutional benchmark. Regardless of shifting alliances or procedural disagreements, the number needed for conviction remains constant.
The clarification comes amid a leadership standoff in the Senate. Gatchalian's bloc currently commands the support of 12 senators, while the group aligned with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has been reduced to 10 members. The dispute has also extended to the question of who should preside over the impeachment proceedings.
Gatchalian has maintained that he will serve as the presiding officer of the impeachment court. Cayetano, however, continues to assert that he is the legitimate Senate president and therefore entitled to oversee the trial.
Despite the disagreement, Gatchalian has defended the legality of the newly formed Senate majority and noted that it has already received recognition from Malacañang and the House of Representatives.
Preparations for the impeachment proceedings are continuing according to schedule. The Senate impeachment court has set the pre-trial conference for June 18. Both the House prosecution panel and the camp of Vice President Duterte have been instructed to submit their respective pre-trial briefs no later than June 15.
The formal trial is slated to begin on July 6, 2026.
Gatchalian reiterated that the proceedings remain on course and that constitutional provisions governing the impeachment process will be strictly observed. He stressed that the Senate's responsibility is to uphold the Constitution and follow the rules established by law, regardless of internal political disputes.
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