Renato Corona impeachment: 7 votes to acquit, 16 to convict "ano kaya ang mangyayari?"

By: Karl John C. Reyes, InterAksyon.com
MANILA, Philippines - Chief Justice Renato needs seven votes in his favor from 22 senator-judges to be acquitted by the Impeachment Court, which will be convened this afternoon.

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile said that with the election of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago to the International Criminal Court, the number of senators goes down from 23 to 22, depending on when she assumes her post - before or during the trial proper.

“Seven positive votes ang kailangan ni Corona para ma-acquit siya. Kung full 24, kailangan niya 9. Kung 23, 8 (Corona needs seven votes to acquit. If full 24, he needs nine. If 23, eight),” Enrile said.

At present, there are 23 members of the Upper Chamber lead by Enrile in the majority bloc with President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano; and Senators Edgardo Angara. Joker Arroyo, Pia Cayetano, Defensor-Santiago, Francis Escudero, Teofisto Guingona III, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,  Sergio Osmena III, Francis Pangilinan, Aquilino Pimentel III, Ralph Recto, Ramon Revilla Jr., Antonio Trillanes IV, and Manuel B. Villar.

“With the election of Sen. Santiago, magiging 22 na lang kami,” Enrile said.

Under Article 11, Section 6, the Accountability of Public Officers said that “No person shall be convicted (by the Impeachment Court) without the concurrence of the two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.” 

“Only 16. Kailangan 16 ang boto (Sixteen is needed) to convict. Even if we are only 20, even if we are only 17. Kailangan pa rin ang 16,” Enrile explained.

“Yung 16, pag nabawasan ang number ng senador, boto yun sa respondent. Meron ng bakante na isa, boto na yun sa respondent. Merong nababawasan, magiging 22 kami, yung dalawa, boto sa respondent yun (If the number of senators go down, it will be a vote for the respondent. We already have one vacant seat, that's a vote for the respondent. We will be further reduced to 22, so those two votes will be for the respondent)," he further explained.