Presidential Communications Office Usec. Claire Castro during a press briefing in Malacañang Palace in Manila on July 18, 2025. Revoli Cortez, PPA pool/File
MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday said it respects the Supreme Court’s decision junking petitions seeking clarification on the revised threshold of votes needed to find Vice President Sara Duterte guilty in her impeachment trial.
The Senate impeachment court had voted to put the threshold at two thirds of members present and who can vote and not of all members.
"Unang-una po, ang nagsagawa naman po ng desisyon patungkol sa pag-clarify ng salitang 'all members of the Senate' ay galing naman po sa Senado," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.
(In the first place, the decision to clarify 'all members of the Senate' came from the Senate.)
She said in Filipino that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the administration will respect "whatever the action the Senate took and what the Supreme Court decided.)
Supreme Court junks petitions vs conviction threshold in Duterte impeachment trial
The SC earlier cited “procedural grounds, including lack of standing and prematurity” in dismissing the petitions filed last week by lawyers Vic Rodriguez and Ernesto Francisco and by Berteni Causing.
Castro, a lawyer, said lack of legal standing is a common reason for the dismissal of petitions.
"At ang prematurity ay dahil malamang nakikita rin po ng Supreme Court na hindi pa nakikitaan na maaaring magkaroon ng sinasabing danyos dahil hindi pa po umaabot doon sa sitwasyon na dapat may katakutan," she added.
(Prematurity is likely because the Supreme Court saw that there is no imminent injury since it has not yet reached that situation.)
Meanwhile, several House lawmakers welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court.
“Bagamat sa procedural grounds ‘yung decision, we welcome the decision, which essentially says wala na pong balakid sa pagtutuluy-tuloy ng Senate impeachment court sa pagtuloy ng kanilang proceedings,” Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co said.
“Tama naman ‘yung Supreme Court thankfully. Premature talaga ‘yung pagtakbo nina Vic Rodriguez et al dahil wala pa naman talagang aktwal na epekto ‘yung desisyon ng Senado kaugnay sa pagbaba ng threshold. ‘Di pa naman nagbobotohan, ‘di ba? And in the end, baka maging moot and academic ‘yan dahil you know, who knows? Baka maabot pa rin ‘yung kinakailangang two-thirds na 16 na original,” ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio added.
— With a report from Agatha Gregorio, ABS-CBN News
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