House prosecutor Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon doesn't see anything wrong with the absences of senator-judges in Vice President Sara Duterte's Senate impeachment trial.

For as long it doesn't affect quorum within the court, that is.

Ridon was asked over the weekend about the continued absence of several senator-judges from impeachment proceedings, including those who have been outside the country.

“For as long as meron pong quorum to proceed, that shouldn’t have any impact on the proceedings itself,” the party-list solon said matter-of-factly.

He drew a distinction between senator-judges who are not physically on the Senate floor but remain within the chamber’s premises, and those who are away from the Senate altogether.

“So may mga paglilinaw na rin naman ho (There have been some clarifications already). For example, if they aren’t on the floor pero they’re within the lounge, I think wala hong problema ’yon (I don't think there's a problem with that). I think that has already been clarified. Mas concern naman po ‘yung mga outside of the Senate premises po na mga senator-judges,” he explained.

Still, Ridon said the overriding consideration is whether enough senator-judges are present to constitute a quorum and allow the impeachment court to conduct business.

“But I think for as long as meron pong quorum to conduct business, dapat magtuloy-tuloy lang po ‘yung paglilitis hanggang pinakadulo,” he said.

(But I think for as long as there is a quorum to conduct business, the trial should just continue all the way to the end.)

At full force, the Senate impeachment court should have 24 senator-judges who will determine the guilt or innocence of respondent Duterte.

As to whether or not senator-judges' absences should affect the number of votes required to convict Duterte, Ridon says the prosecution is not asking the impeachment court to lower the vote threshold.

“It is not for the prosecution or defense to determine the threshold. It is for the Senate judges to make that determination,” said the lawyer-solon.

If anything, he says the prosecution would always point to the specific language of the Constitution regarding the issue.

“Pero ang nililinaw lang po natin sa publiko pagka tinatanong po tayo, hindi po absolute number ‘yung 16 sa Constitution. Ang nakalagay po sa Constitution, two-thirds of all senators,” Ridon said.

(But what we are clarifying to the public when asked is that the number 16 in the Constitution is not absolute. What the Constitution states is two-thirds of all senators.)

“So whatever that particular provision means, it will be up for the Senate judges to decide,” he noted.