Under Philippine laws and jurisprudence, there is a whale of a difference between a criminal proceedings and impeachment. Criminal proceedings are penal in nature and end in imprisonment or fine in case of conviction. Impeachment is a political exercise which may end in removal from office with perpetual disqualification from holding any public office both elective and appointive, in the event of conviction.
In criminal proceedings, any person, citizen or alien who commits a felony, crime, offense, malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance may be arrested, charged, prosecuted and, after due process, may be found guilty and sentenced by any court of competent jurisdiction. Impeachment is limited to the president of the Philippines, the vice president, the chief justice and all the associate justices of the Supreme Court, chairman and commissioners of the Commission on Elections, the chairman and commissioners of COA, the chairman and commissioners of the CSC, and the ombudsman.
Criminal proceedings commence with a complaint or information filed by the city or provincial prosecutor or the Department of Justice or the ombudsman and filed with the municipal or city court, circuit court or Regional Trial Court or Sandiganbayan. A complaint for impeachment must emanate from the House of Representative, which the speaker may refer to the House Committee on Justice. If there is sufficient in form and substance, the committee may, by a vote of one-third of its members, refer the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
The Senate shall forthwith constitute itself into an impeachment court and all the senators should take an oath to do justice without fear or favor, among other commitments. By a vote of 16, a respondent may be convicted in the case of the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, only three voted for acquittal, namely Miriam Defensor Santiago, Joker Arroyo, and Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Twenty senators voted to convict, much more than the 16 required, namely: Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Floor Leader Tito Sotto III, Edgardo Angara, Franklin Drilon, Pia Cayetano, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Antonio Trillanes IV, Gregorio Honasan, Teofisto Guingona III, Panfilo Lacson, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Koko Pimentel, Serge Osmeña III, Kiko Pangilinan, Ralph Recto, Ramon Revilla, and Manuel Villar.
In criminal proceedings, there should be proof beyond reasonable doubt. There should be an acquittal if there is reasonable doubt. In impeachment, all that is required is substantial evidence or that quantum of proof which a reasonable mind might accept to support a logical conclusion. In impeachment, deductive reasoning is enough although there is no eyewitness testimony. Lastly, in criminal proceedings, double jeopardy applies. In impeachment, it is not applicable. That is why the vice president has the distinct record of having been impeached twice.
Impeachment is a numbers game. Even if innocent like Corona, if 16 senators vote to convict, that is it. In the case of Vice President Sara, even if the evidence is strong, if there are less than 16 senators who shall vote for conviction, she shall be exonerated. But then again, she might come out of the impeachment court "heavily wounded and scarred from a real bloodbath".