Amici curiae: Impeach court to tap legal experts on voting threshold

MANILA, Philippines - Constitutional experts will be tapped by the Senate impeachment court - as amici curiae or friends of the court - to resolve a possible deadlock over the number of votes required to convict or acquit Vice President Sara Duterte as four senators remain absent for various reasons.

Presiding officer Francis Escudero made the announcement yesterday after Sen. Erwin Tulfo formally appealed his ruling on the first day of the trial in July, setting the conviction threshold at 16 votes based on the full 24-member Senate.

"Given the sensitive and serious nature of this issue and topic, as discussed earlier with counsels for the parties and the senator-judges, we will be enlisting the opinion and assistance of amici curiae, or friends of the court so to speak, in order to give their opinion with respect to this issue," Escudero said.