Ridon, Tolosa face sub judice sanctions
The court could create a certified incident record for submission to the Office of the Bar Confidant, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the Supreme Court.
The court could create a certified incident record for submission to the Office of the Bar Confidant, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the Supreme Court.
Impeachment prosecutors Rep. Terry Ridon and Atty. Benjamin Jay Tolosa have been ordered to explain their alleged violation of the Senate impeachment court’s sub judice rule.
Ridon confirmed his receipt of the show cause order Thursday, saying he respected the Senate’s decision and would submit his explanation within the period specified.
“We respect the Senate impeachment court, we will answer the show cause order, and we will continue to do our work,” Ridon said in a brief statement.
He said he would continue to co-lead the prosecution of Article II with Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno and provide the public with information about the trial.
Ridon urged the public to focus on the proceedings rather than the summons.
The show cause orders stemmed from three incidents on 8, 14 and 15 September, according to impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol.
Tongol said the orders were issued at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and gave the respondents 24 hours to submit their replies. Ridon said he would file his response within the day.
Clean-slate start
The court tightened the enforcement of the sub judice rule on 26 August after statements by both the prosecution and the defense supposedly went beyond established courtroom practice.
Rule 18 of the Senate impeachment court bars lawyers from publicly discussing the merits of the case, including in media interviews and social media posts.
Presiding officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the court would start with a clean slate and would not sanction statements made before the stricter implementation of the rule.
Under the court’s “two-strike rule,” a first violation would result in a public reprimand and a stern admonition in open court.
A repeat violation could lead to a maximum statutory fine of P30,000 for every subsequent incident.
Escudero said violators could face prospective restrictions on speaking in open court and examining witnesses.
If the violation involved a lawyer directly participating in the proceedings, the court could create a certified incident record for submission to the Office of the Bar Confidant, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the Supreme Court.
Escudero earlier urged both parties to designate spokespersons who were not directly participating in the trial to avoid further violations.
