CAYETANO – The Senate Minority Leader spoke on his bloc’s decision not to participate in the voting to change the 16-vote threshold for impeachment.

Today, the Senate impeachment court voted to change the 16-vote impeachment threshold to convict Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. The decision came with a 13-6-0 voting result from the senator judges.

Thirteen senators from the majority bloc voted to change the impeachment threshold which was previously cited as 2/3 of 24 resulting to 16. Sen. Chiz Escudero voted in the negative while six (6) senators from the minority bloc did not participate in the voting.

Based on the recent ruling which overturned the July 6 ruling of Senate impeachment court presiding officer Chiz Escudero on the 16-vote threshold to convict Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, senators who are detained and hiding are no longer counted in the 2/3 denominator.

Currently, two (2) senators, Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, are detained due to plunder charges. Sen. Loren Legarda has yet to return to the Philippines amid an extended medical leave which was previously accused of being tied with the accusations against her. Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa remains in ‘hiding’.

Following the recent ruling of the Senate impeachment court, the voting threshold to convict Vice Pres. Sara Duterte now drops from 16 to 14. Recently, Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano spoke on the reason why the minority bloc did not participate in the voting.

“Kasi ‘di ba parang lason ‘yan eh. Hindi mo na titikman,” Cayetano said based on News5.

During the interview, Sen. Cayetano stressed that it is what the minority bloc has discussed and they will still talk about on the next proceedings. According to him, they will still talk and make assessments on what may happen next.

Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that she’s ready to step down if she will be impeached. Here are some of the grounds raised against her in the impeachment complaints that were filed against her before the House of Representatives:

• Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
• Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
• Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
• Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
• Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
• Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection

Previously, an arrest warrant was released against the Vice President over her alleged remarks against Pres. Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that she doesn’t feel safe following the issuance of the arrest warrant against her.