Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Saturday, July 11, asserted that any potential violations of the Senate impeachment court’s rules should be handled privately among senator-judges, criticizing the tribunal’s spokesperson for making public remarks on the matter.
Lacson’s statements came after impeachment court spokesperson Atty. Reginald Tongol commented on a social media post by Senator Robin Padilla, which raised questions regarding compliance with the sub judice rule.
”With due respect to Atty. Tongol, he is the spokesperson of the Impeachment Court and speaks on behalf of the senator-judges. He should not make it appear he is cautioning or admonishing us,” Lacson said during a radio interview.
The lawmaker emphasized that any concerns regarding the behavior of the tribunal’s members belong in closed-door discussions rather than the public sphere.
”If there are indiscretions committed by a senator-judge, it is best to take it up in an all senator-judges caucus, instead of lecturing in public or during the trial.”
According to Lacson, Tongol’s mandate is restricted to delivering the official stance of the impeachment court, not publicly scrutinizing or lecturing the very senators he represents.
”It is not in his space to call the attention of senator-judges to adhere to Rule 18 of the Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials, even sounding like he was admonishing Sen. (Robin) Padilla for his FB comments,” he said.
Concurrently, Lacson urged his colleagues on the tribunal to remain mindful of their public statements to preserve the integrity and neutrality of the ongoing trial.
”As senator-judges, we should be responsible enough, and conscious of our statements because we are senator-judges. We cannot make statements in interviews or during the trial that may project leaning towards the prosecution or defense.”
Lacson also shared that the senator-judges are expected to hold another private caucus next week to address unresolved matters. Among these is a proposal by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano to coordinate with the Sandiganbayan so that detained lawmakers, such as Senator Jinggoy Estrada, can take part in the impeachment trial.
During a previous press briefing, Tongol had reminded the tribunal members to adhere to the sub judice rule, which restricts public commentary on the case’s merits to ensure a fair trial, though he did not explicitly state that Padilla committed a violation.