Prosec seeks'uniform' sub judice application

Lead public prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro appealed to the Senate impeachment court to ensure that the sub judice rule is applied uniformly to all parties in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Luistro said the ruling issued by presiding officer Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero applies to the prosecution, defense, senator-judges, and Duterte herself.

“We have to remember, of course, that this rule applies not only to the parties, not only to the defense and the prosecution. It likewise applies to the senator-judges and to the parties, including the respondent, the Vice President,” Luistro said in a radio interview Sunday.

Her comments on the court’s ruling come after both public prosecutor Rep. Terry Ridon and private prosecutor Atty. Benjamin Tolosa received show-cause orders over supposed violations of sub judice in their public statements.

Ridon confirmed the issuance on Thursday, 17 September, noting that they would submit their respective responses the same day.

Escudero issued stricter guidelines on the sub judice rule on 26 August in response to concerns raised by the Vice President’s lawyers over comments by members of the prosecution.