Impeachment court orders prosecutors to explain alleged sub judice rule violation

The Senate impeachment court has issued a show cause order on House prosecutor Terry Ridon and private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa, Jr., asking them to explain statements that allegedly violated the sub judice rule, meaning the ban on parties from discussing the merits of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte outside the trial proceedings. This was confirmed by Ridon to reporters on Thursday, a day after the Senate impeachment court announced the issuance of the show cause orders on two members of the prosecution panel without naming names. “We confirm that we received the show cause order from the Senate impeachment court concerning sub judice matters. We respect the decision of the Impeachment court, and we will answer the order by the end of today,” Ridon told reporters at the sidelines of the ongoing budget briefing. “Aside from me, Atty. Tolosa was also given a show cause order, and he will also answer it by the end of the day,” Ridon added. The sub judice rule is provided under Article 18 of the Rules on Impeachment, which states that the presiding officer, the members of the Senate, “shall refrain from making any comments and disclosures in public pertaining to the merits of a pending impeachment trial” and that “the same shall likewise apply to the prosecutors, the person impeached, and their respective counsel and witnesses.” Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero, back in August 2026, cautioned the parties against violating the sub judice rule by saying that violations going forward will have consequences, including a P30,000 fine per offense. Ridon did not cite the specific statements that were flagged by the Senate impeachment court. Instead, he stressed that it was the prosecutors’ duty to explain the impeachment process to the public within the rules set by the Impeachment court. “Our role as prosecutors should be viewed in the entirety of the context of explaining to the public the goings-on of the trial. We have never asked the court to pre-judge. The impeachment trial is ongoing,” Ridon said. “We do not seek to influence the senator-judges. Ultimately, ang pinakamahalaga po, hindi lang po kami-kami sa kapulungan. Ang pinakamahalaga po, nauunawaan ng ordinaryong Pilipino kung bakit kung meron po tayong paglilitis, bakit mahalaga po yung katotohanan, bakit mahalaga yung pananagutan,” Ridon added. (The understanding of the process should not be limited to the members of Congress. The most important thing here is for the Filipino people to understand why there is a trial, why the truth matters, and why accountability is important.) Ridon, however, said the prosecution will submit to the decision of the impeachment court. “Whatever these statements [supposedly violating sub judice], we leave it to the court to make that determination. We don't want to debate with the court because they are the court,” Ridon added. —LDF, GMA News