RG Cruz

Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian clarified Wednesday that the two-thirds vote required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte in the ongoing impeachment trial is a constitutional mandate and unaffected by any Senate leadership arrangement or dispute.

Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday said he received a recommendation to continue the heightened security measures in the Senate after meeting with security sector officials.

Senator Panfilo Lacson personally believes that the votes of 16 senators, or 2/3 of all 24 senators, are needed to convict in an impeachment trial but he maintained that this will ultimately have to be decided by the Senate Impeachment Court.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano conceded Wednesday that there may now be enough numbers to formally install a new Senate President.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla wants to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 10 years old following the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City, Leyte.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte should not prevent the Senate from continuing its investigation into the alleged flood control scam.

House Lead Prosecutor Gerville Luistro concedes that the non-opening and non-marking of the box of Vice President Sara Duterte's tax records from the Bureau of Internal Revenue at the Pre-Trial Conference does not mean it can no longer be opened or accessed by the public.

Atty. Michael Poa also said that Duterte being subject to the impeachment process is part of her facing accountability even if she is not physically present.

Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial may end up being decided by the Supreme Court, according to a former high court judge.

There is precedent for how the Senate impeachment court may handle the prosecution's bid to open the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, the court's spokesperson, Reginald Tongol, said.