Prosecution, defense panels vow to comply with Senate impeachment court ruling

The prosecution and defense panels on Wednesday vowed to comply with the Senate impeachment court’s ruling barring their counsels from speaking publicly on the merits of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

The restraint stems from Rule 18 of the Senate Rules on Impeachment, which states that the presiding officer and members of the Senate “shall refrain from making any comments and disclosures in public pertaining to the merits of a pending impeachment trial.”

The rule likewise applies to the prosecutors, the official impeached, and their respective counsel and witnesses.

“We respect the decision of the impeachment court on Rule 18. Of course, the prosecution panel will definitely comply with the directives of the impeachment court,” House impeachment team adviser and spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers said at a press briefing.

“We also expect that this ruling, this Rule 18, must also apply to other parties, including the respondent,” Barbers said, referring to Duterte.

House Deputy Speaker Janette Garin of Iloilo, for her part, said the ruling would not prevent the prosecution team’s designated spokespersons from stating facts for the public and the senator-judges to appreciate.

“We will have to innovate for us to be able to send the facts across,” Garin added.

Defense team counsel and spokesperson Michael Poa, for his part, said he had already canceled scheduled interviews to avoid penalties imposed by the Senate impeachment court.

Under the court’s ruling, a first offense carries a severe reprimand and stern admonition in open court, while a second and succeeding offense may be penalized with a fine of up to P30,000 per violation.

“We will comply with the order of the impeachment court. It is really risky.

Poa noted the risk of inadvertently discussing the merits of the case during media interviews.

"There are times when your questions also would put us in a corner to answer certain things that might delve into the merits, and it's not your fault, of course. You're just doing your job," he told reporters.

"But because of the ruling, I need to discuss the matter with the Vice President,” Poa added.

Poa also apologized to media organizations with whom he had scheduled interviews, saying he decided to cancel them to avoid running afoul of the impeachment court’s penalties.

“I messaged the people concerned and begged off from the interviews because it’s better to be safe, as we might end up facing the penalties,” Poa said.— MCG, GMA News