The spokesperson for the Senate impeachment court, Atty. Regie Tongol, reminded senator-judges on Friday, June 10, that they are strictly forbidden from publicly discussing the merits of a pending case to ensure the integrity and neutrality of the trial.
The reminder came after Senator Robin Padilla defended his recent courtroom behavior on social media, specifically regarding his questioning of the authenticity of video evidence used against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Prompted on whether Padilla’s online statements violated the sub judice rule, Tongol pointed to Rule 18 of the Senate Impeachment Rules.
”When you read Rule 18 of the Senate Impeachment Rules, it clearly states that senator-judges, House prosecutors, defense counsels, and private counsels are not allowed to speak about the merits of the case,” Tongol explained.
Despite clarifying the policy, Tongol stopped short of explicitly accusing Padilla of a breach.
”I am not saying Senator Judge Robin committed a violation. I’m not a senator to make that determination,” Tongol noted, adding that any official disciplinary action would be the purview of the presiding officer or the collective body of senator-judges.
Tongol stressed that lawmakers face heightened accountability in these circumstances.
”Actually, they are even more covered,” he said, emphasizing that the rule is vital because impeachment is a sensitive political proceeding. He warned that any perception of partiality could damage the public’s perception of the trial’s legitimacy.
”If they are seen to have any impropriety or even the semblance of bias or prejudice, the public may lose respect and confidence in the impeachment court’s decision,” he added.
The issue began when Padilla interrogated a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent about the chain of custody for a video submission. The agent admitted that the original file was not secured, and that the NBI had instead utilized screen-recording software on a version found online. Padilla contended that this process cast doubt on the video’s authenticity.
Faced with online criticism over his interrogation style, Padilla took to social media to push back against what he called misinformation, suggesting that media scrutiny should be redirected elsewhere rather than targeting his background in mass media.