House prosecution panel member Terry Ridon is among those issued a show cause order by the Senate Impeachment Court over a possible violation of the sub judice ruling.
The House prosecution panel confirmed the development, with trial spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong saying another member of the private prosecution team also received a show cause order.
Adiong said the prosecution had yet to read the details of the order and would discuss its next steps after reviewing the document.
The sub judice rule restricts public statements concerning the merits of an ongoing case.
The prosecution panel also observed that the impeachment court had not yet taken action on statements made by Vice President Sara Duterte.
Adiong said the prosecution’s public statements had not gone beyond matters already discussed during the trial. However, he argued that the same standards on compliance with the sub judice rule should apply to all parties, including the vice president.
He also said the defense should advise its client to avoid statements questioning the integrity of the impeachment court.
This followed Duterte’s reported claim that she had no trust in the impeachment proceedings and that the senator-judges were being controlled by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The House prosecution panel said it recognizes the authority of the impeachment court while raising concerns over what it described as the need for consistent enforcement of the court’s rules.
