The House will comply with the Supreme Court’s directive to comment on a challenge to the Senate impeachment court’s voting rule, according to House prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, while keeping the panel’s task centered on evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Alonto Adiong described the request for comments as a regular step in court.
He did not announce a completed filing or a date for submitting the House response.
“So this is just the usual procedure that we expect from the court to issue,” Alonto Adiong said during a press conference at Romualdez Hall.
The Supreme Court’s October 14 resolution gave the Senate impeachment court and the House five days to comment on a petition filed by Senators Robinhood Padilla and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, along with other petitioners.
Their challenge seeks a fixed 16-vote requirement for conviction.
The request for comments is separate from a decision on the petition’s merits.
The petition challenges the September 23 Senate ruling that computes the two-thirds requirement based on senators who are legally and factually capable of participating when judgment is rendered.
“Of course we respect the Supreme Court and we will comply with whatever the issuances from the Supreme Court would cover in relation to the petition filed by two sitting senator-judges,” Alonto Adiong also said.
Asked whether the prosecution would reaffirm the Senate ruling, the Lanao del Sur 1st District representative distinguished the panel’s courtroom role from the senator-judges’ decisions.
“It’s not the position of the prosecution to reaffirm. Our position is to present the evidence necessary to prove our case,” Alonto Adiong said.
He said the impeachment court determined how to apply the voting requirement.
The prosecution’s responsibility was to support the remaining Article II allegations with the records and testimony presented to the panel.
“Ang decision naman to apply the two-thirds voting threshold is based on the decision of the individual senator-judges and collectively as an impeachment court,” Alonto Adiong also said.
Alonto Adiong noted neither party had requested the ruling, placing responsibility for the procedural decision with the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.
“Hindi naman po yun ni-request ng prosecution and just to be fair neither the defense,” Alonto Adiong said.
The order gives both chambers an opportunity to state their positions on the petition, while Alonto Adiong placed the panel’s immediate work on the financial records and testimony supporting Article II.