House prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong clarified on Saturday that the Senate impeachment court did not lower the constitutional voting requirement to convict Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the two-thirds rule remains in effect.

Adiong said the two-thirds requirement is simply being applied to the number of senator-judges who are legally and physically capable of participating in the impeachment proceedings.

“To clear misconceptions, it is not lowering the number of the senators who can able to vote. It's actually the two-thirds, applying the two-thirds on the exact number of senators who are able legally participate, physically and legally participate at the impeachment trial,” Adiong said during a news forum on Saturday.

“Hindi po binababa dahil fixed na po talaga ang two-thirds,” he added.

Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero cast the lone dissenting vote. Six senator-judges—Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Bong Go, Camille Villar and Robinhood Padilla—did not participate in the vote. Under the new calculation, the denominator excludes senators who are detained or suspended, legally restrained from performing their functions, sought by authorities with unknown whereabouts, physically or medically incapacitated, or beyond the Senate’s coercive processes.

The congressman also clarified that the impeachment proceeding does not treat Duterte as an accused in an ordinary criminal case, but as a respondent whose fitness to continue serving as vice president is being examined.

“Hindi natin nililitis ang Bise Presidente bilang isang akusado, respondent po siya. Pinag-uusapan po natin fit ba siya na tumuloy bilang Vice President ng ating bansa,” Adiong said.

He said removing an allegedly unfit official from office through impeachment is intended, in the prosecution’s view, to protect the interests of the state and the public.