Members of the House prosecution panel urged that the sub judice gag rule in the Senate impeachment trial be enforced uniformly, stressing that it must bind respondent Vice President Sara Duterte as well.
The statement from prosecution adviser and former Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers and panel spokesperson Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong came ahead of an anticipated Monday ruling on the sub judice issue by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, presiding officer of the impeachment court.
The prosecutors emphasized that if the restriction on public statements is to maintain fairness, no party should be exempt from its coverage.
“Basta po sa pag-promote at pag-uphold ng integrity ng korte, dapat maski sino man ‘yan, maski anong panig man ‘yan, kung meron po siyang ginawa o sinabi labag po doon sa mga rules sa ating Senate impeachment court, dapat po sitahin talaga ‘yan,” Adiong said in a radio interview.
“Dapat po talaga sitahin ‘yan at hindi po dapat magiging selective lang ang ating approach pagdating po doon sa pagme-maintain ng integridad ng impeachment court,” he noted.
Barbers noted that the gag order explicitly applies to prosecutors, respondent Duterte, private attorneys, and witnesses alike.
Additionally, the House panel argued that incumbent senator-judges must exercise similar caution regarding public comments on the active proceedings.
“The objective is to ensure that issues are resolved inside the impeachment court and not through competing narratives outside it. Kung may rule, dapat pare-pareho ang application. Hindi puwedeng mahigpit sa isa pero maluwag sa iba,” Barbers said.
“The credibility of the impeachment court depends not only on the rule itself, but on its fair and impartial enforcement,” he added.