What if VP is or isn't removed from office?

By all the looks of it, I truly believe that VP Sara is going to be acquitted by the Senate impeachment court.

- Atty. Josephus B. Jimenez

Impeachment is not a judicial proceeding but a political konfrontasi. He who has the stronger evidence may be defeated by the side who has eight senators that are enough to acquit. But for the sake of argument, let us just assume that which is improbable, that Sara is convicted.

In the event that the Senate shall, by an affirmative vote of 16 senators, convict the already-impeached vice president, Article XI of the Constitution, section 3, paragraph 7 provides that she shall be removed from office. In addition to removal, the Senate may impose the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

But such conviction by the Senate, as an impeachment court, does not carry with it the penalty of imprisonment. That shall require a separate criminal proceeding where she shall be indicted by the DOJ and shall be charged in the proper court, specifically the Sandiganbayan if and when she is charged with plunder. That is if the evidence warrants. If convicted, like former president Joseph Estrada, she will go to prison. But president BBM may pardon her as GMA did with Erap.