Retired Supreme Court justices are set to take center stage on the 26th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Wednesday as the Senate tackles legal questions surrounding the vote required to convict her.
The legal luminaries will appear not as witnesses but as amici curiae, or “friends of the court,” to provide expert legal guidance to the Senate and help resolve questions surrounding the 16-vote threshold for conviction.
Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero said there will be no trial proceedings on Wednesday to give the retired justices sufficient time to present their legal positions on the matter.
Expected to appear before the impeachment court and answer questions from the senator-judges are retired Supreme Court Chief Justices Artemio Panganiban and Reynato Puno, as well as retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna.
Retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. will also participate by submitting a legal memorandum instead of appearing personally before the Senate.
The proceedings will focus on the vote threshold following the ruling on the requirement of 16 votes to convict the Vice President.
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