Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday that Sen. Mark Villar’s vote to make the voting base to convict Vice President Sara Duterte more flexible does not indicate he is joining the Senate majority.
The senator clarified that after Villar, the sole minority bloc member to do so, voted to let the impeachment court adjust the conviction threshold depending on how many senator-judges are present.
‘As of yesterday, yung kaniyang boto ay to overturn the ruling ng presiding officer. So yun lang yung kaniyang boto. Wala naman siyang binoto na majority or minority, SP wala namang ganon,’ Gatchalian told the media in an interview.
(‘As of yesterday, his vote was to overturn the ruling of the presiding officer. So that’s all his vote was. He didn’t vote majority or minority, SP, there’s nothing like that.’)
To recall, Presiding Officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero ruled that Duterte’s conviction required 16 of 24 votes, in accordance with the Constitution.
When the Senate impeachment court was divided on Wednesday to overturn Escudero’s decision, all remaining minority senators but Villar did not participate in the voting.
This ruling was revisited after Sen. Erwin Tulfo appealed to the court to determine who will be allowed to vote on Duterte’s conviction, given that Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta are detained, Sen. Bato dela Rosa is at-large, and Sen. Loren Legarda is on medical leave.
With the absence of the four, only Villar, Minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Sens. Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Christopher ‘Bong’ Go, Robin Padilla, and Camille Villar are the only minority Senators actively participating in the proceedings.
Asked whether Villar has expressed intent to join the majority bloc, Gatchalian said there have been no such offers as of the moment.
Villar has yet to explain his vote on the threshold.