MANILA — The House prosecution team is confident in its evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte regardless of the number of votes the Senate impeachment court ultimately requires for conviction, House prosecutor Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno said Wednesday.

Speaking at the start of oral arguments on the disputed voting threshold, Diokno said the prosecution’s responsibility to prove the Articles of Impeachment remains unchanged whether the court retains the 16-vote requirement or sets a different threshold.

“The prosecution is confident in its case. We believe in our evidence, and we trust the independent judgment of this Honorable Court,” Diokno said.

“And whatever the threshold is, however this Court decides the issue before it today, the prosecution will do its job,” he added.

Diokno said the prosecution’s duty is to present evidence and prove the allegations, while the impeachment court must weigh the evidence and arguments and decide the case based on the Constitution and the law.

“Malinaw po ang obligasyon ng prosecution: ilatag ang ebidensya at patunayan ang mga paratang para makamit ang hustisya at pananagutan,” Diokno said.

“Malinaw rin po ang tungkulin ng hukumang ito: suriin ang ebidensya, timbangin ang mga argumento at magpasya ayon sa Konstitusyon at sa ating batas,” he added.

He said the prosecution’s objective is not to secure a favorable voting threshold but to prove the impeachment charges.

“Our responsibility is not to find the most favorable arithmetic. Our responsibility is to prove the Articles of Impeachment within the bounds of justice,” Diokno said.

“If the Court determines 16, we present our evidence. If the Court determines another number, we present the same evidence,” he added.

“Because the evidence does not become stronger or weaker depending upon the denominator. The Articles do not change. The burden imposed upon the prosecution does not change.”

The impeachment court is considering whether to uphold Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s earlier ruling that 16 votes, or two-thirds of the full 24-member Senate, are required to convict Duterte.

Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo sought reconsideration of the ruling, prompting the court to hear the views of amici curiae last week before the prosecution and defense presented their oral arguments Wednesday.

Diokno argued that while the court must determine which senators should constitutionally be included in the denominator, the two-thirds requirement itself remains unchanged.

“Two-thirds remains two-thirds,” he said.

Diokno said the prosecution would respect whatever threshold the court ultimately adopts.

“And whatever the Court decides, the prosecution will respect that decision,” he said. “Because ultimately, two-thirds remains two-thirds.”

“Iyan po ang aming pananagutan. Iyan din ang inaasahan ng taong bayan.”