Azcuna backs 16-vote threshold, says absent senator-judges may still vote

Manila Bulletin

Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna on Wednesday, Sept. 16, backed retaining the 16-vote threshold to convict Vice President Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial.  Speaking as an amicus curiae before the Senate impeachment court, Azcuna said the Constitution’s reference to “two-thirds of all the members of the Senate” means the full 24-member Senate should be used in determining the conviction threshold, regardless of how many senator-judges are present or participating during the final vote.  Azcuna also said absent senator-judges may still vote in the impeachment trial. (Video courtesy of the Senate of the Philippines)  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2026/09/16/azcuna-backs-16-vote-threshold-says-absent-senator-judges-may-still-vote-in-impeachment-trial  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #VPSaraOnTrial #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

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00:00I am here to answer the questions as a friend of the court, representing neither party, and expressing my personal

00:15opinion on the constitutional and legal issues propounded by the advisory of the court to me.

00:28Your Honors, the first question is whether the phrase,

00:36all the members of the Senate in Article 11, Section 3, Subsection 6 of the 1987 Constitution should refer to

00:49the Senate's full membership of 24 senators,

00:53or only to those who are legally and physically capacitated to participate and vote on the final question in an

01:04impeachment trial.

01:14I respectfully submit, Your Honors, that the reference in this provision is to all members of the Senate.

01:26As long as they are members of the Senate, they constitute the denominator and computing the threshold of two-thirds,

01:37because all means all.

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01:53You

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