Panganiban, Davide, Azcuna Invited As Amici Curiae

The Senate impeachment court has invited two retired chief justices and a retired associate justice as amici curiae or judiciary resource persons to share their insights on the voting threshold in Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial.

Impeachment court spokesman Reginald Tongol said they have secured the participation of retired chief justices Artemio Panganiban and Reynato Puno, and retired Supreme Court associate justice Adolf Azcuna, as “friends of the court.”

The legal luminaries will enlighten the senators on whether the impeachment court can lower the threshold of “two-thirds of all members” or 16 of 24 senators to convict the Vice President, due to the physical absence of four senators who are on leave, at large or detained.

“The impeachment court is not leaving constitutional math to guesswork or chance,” Tongol said.

The court, he added, has also secured the participation of retired chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., who promised to submit a legal memorandum on the issue. Davide presided over the aborted impeachment trial of deposed president Joseph Estrada.

More amici curiae may be invited by the court for its scheduled briefing on the threshold issue on Sept. 16.

“The impeachment court reserves its plenary prerogative to invite additional experts should the situation demands it – so this four-man roster constitutes the Court’s list of amici curiae thus far,” Tongol said.

Oral arguments will be held on Sept. 23, after which – on the same day – the senator-judges will issue their verdict on the threshold controversy.