A dispute over courtroom decorum spilled into public view on Saturday after Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson said the spokesperson of the Senate impeachment court may have overstepped his role by publicly reminding lawmakers to avoid statements that could compromise the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Spokesperson Reginald Tongol on Friday invoked Rule 18 of the Senate Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials after a Facebook post by Senator Robinhood Padilla defending Duterte prompted questions about whether some senator-judges were risking the appearance of bias.

“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 in a radio interview.

Tongol had told reporters that Rule 18 of the Senate Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials prohibits senator-judges from making public statements on the merits of the case while proceedings are ongoing.

While he declined to say whether Padilla had violated the rule, Tongol said it would ultimately be up to the impeachment court to determine whether any senator’s actions ran afoul of the rules. He stressed that public comments could invite questions about the court’s impartiality.

Lacson said Tongol should not be publicly policing the conduct of the very lawmakers he represents. Instead, he said, questions over a senator-judge’s conduct should be settled behind closed doors.