Timestamp: 00:44:55
Carpio clarified a critical rule in impeachment trials: conviction in the Senate requires a fixed number of votes, regardless of attendance.
He explained that:
- At least 16 affirmative votes are required for conviction
- Absences or non-participation effectively count against conviction
- The threshold remains unchanged even if some senators are unavailable
This underscores the political complexity of impeachment trials, where both legal arguments and vote counts determine the outcome.
Carpio emphasized that securing conviction is not just a legal matter but also a numbers game within the Senate.