Philippine Senate revises vote-counting procedure in Sara Duterte case — The Japan Times

The Philippine Senate approved a motion under which the constitutional requirement of a two-thirds vote to find Vice President Sara Duterte guilty in impeachment proceedings will apply to senators present, rather than to all 24 members of the chamber. According to The Japan Times, this could increase the likelihood of a conviction and a lifetime ban on Duterte engaging in politics.

Vote-counting procedure

Under the previous approach, the threshold for a guilty verdict was 16 votes, and it was considered difficult for the prosecution to overcome. The new procedure counts only the votes of senators present at the session, which, according to the publication's assessment, changes the vote calculation to Duterte's disadvantage.

Two senators considered Duterte's allies, Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada, were arrested in corruption cases. Another ally, Ronald dela Rosa, is in hiding to avoid an international arrest warrant. Senator Loren Legarda is on extended medical leave amid an investigation into energy contracts. All of them deny wrongdoing.

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Impeachment hearings

The impeachment case has been under consideration for 10 weeks and may continue until December. Duterte is accused of making death threats against Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife, improperly using public funds, and accumulating wealth of unclear origin. The vice president rejects all accusations.

During the hearings, prosecutors repeatedly showed a 2024 video in which Duterte, according to the publication, spoke about fears for her life and arrangements to kill Marcos, his wife, and his cousin in the event of her death. Witnesses also testified about large cash withdrawals by the vice president's aides — about $2 million at a time — allegedly carried in sports bags.

Duterte's defense insists that there were no violations in the spending of funds and that the vice president herself faced threats and harassment after the breakdown of her political alliance with Marcos. Her lawyer, Michael Poa, said the defense may turn to the Supreme Court if it considers that his client's rights have been violated.