MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte’s spokesperson Salvador Paolo A. Panelo Jr. said the Senate’s decision to lower the number of votes required to convict in an impeachment trial violates the Constitution.

Panelo cited Article XI, Section 3(6) of the 1987 Constitution, which states that conviction in an impeachment case requires the concurrence of two-thirds of all members of the Senate.

With 24 senators, Panelo said, the required number of votes for conviction is 16.

He argued that the requirement should be based on the full Senate membership and not only on senators able to attend the proceedings.

Panelo also claimed that the Senate’s decision violated Duterte’s right to due process and questioned the legal authority of the Senate impeachment court to continue hearing the case.

He alleged that the Marcos administration was preventing senators opposed to its agenda from participating freely in the proceedings through threats of criminal cases and imprisonment.

Panelo further accused the administration of manipulating the law because, he claimed, it could not defeat Duterte through the impeachment process or the 2028 elections.

He also alleged that those behind the impeachment were seeking to avoid accountability for their actions.

Panelo criticized senators who supported the Senate’s decision, saying they had contributed to the country’s problems and accusing them of undermining the independence of the Senate and democracy.

He also praised senators who opposed the move, saying they had chosen to put public interest ahead of their own interests.

The statement was issued by Panelo on Sept. 23, 2026.