Senator Camille Villar urges respect for absent colleagues during impeachment trial

On the 29th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Senator-judge Camille Villar became tearful as she asked fellow senators to treat absent members with respect. She responded to Senator-judge Erwin Tulio’s reminder that several colleagues are unable to attend: one on extended medical leave overseas, two detained for plunder, and another evading an ICC arrest warrant. Tulio warned that these gaps might shift the two-thirds vote threshold required by the 1987 Constitution to convict.

Villar argued that absent senators have not been convicted and should not be branded as thieves or plunderers, urging the Senate to avoid personal attacks. The presiding officer, Francis Escudero, reiterated that a two-thirds majority of all senators—16 votes—is needed for a conviction. The debate underscores the procedural challenges posed by legal and health-related absences in high-profile impeachment cases.