Summary
Highlights
Examination of Asset Statements00:00:19
The trial session began with a focus on the Vice President's Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). Records indicate that her declared net worth, along with her spouse's, increased significantly from 2007 to 2025, from approximately 7.2 million to 98.6 million pesos.
Introduction of Amici Curiae00:04:01
The impeachment court invited retired Chief Justices and a retired Associate Justice to serve as friends of the court (Amici Curiae) to provide expert legal opinions on constitutional interpretations, specifically concerning the voting threshold and participation rights of senators.
Legal Arguments on Voting Thresholds00:13:27
Legal experts and the court discussed the interpretation of 'two-thirds of all the members of the Senate' required for conviction. The central debate focused on whether this implies a fixed number (24 senators) or if it excludes those legally incapacitated, detained, or abroad.
Reading of Justice David's Memorandum01:07:24
The clerk of court read the memorandum of retired Chief Justice Hilario David Jr., who argued that the phrase 'all members' should only refer to those who are mentally and physically capacitated to perform their duties as senator-judges.
Amici Curiae Presentations01:18:24
Retired Chief Justice Artio Panganiban and other esteemed jurists presented their views, emphasizing that while the Senate is the sole judge of impeachment cases, its proceedings must adhere to principles of truth, fairness, and due process, warning against arbitrary or whimsical interpretation.