More time needed to resolve impeach vote threshold

MANILA, Philippines - The impeachment court trying Vice President Sara Duterte may defer resolving the voting threshold question to give senators more time to study the issue, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said yesterday.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo's motion sought to clarify before the impeachment court where the two-thirds vote to convict Duterte would be based: all 24 members of the Senate or only those who actively participated throughout the trial.

Presiding officer Francis Escudero set the schedule to decide on Tulfo's motion on Wednesday.

Before deciding, both the prosecution and defense panels will engage in oral arguments to debate the issue, with senators given time for interjections.

Four friends of the court, or amici curiae, provided insights last week to help the impeachment court arrive at a decision.

For Lacson, the complexities of the matter will be difficult to digest in a couple of minutes or hours.