The Senate Impeachment Court issued a “stern warning” to House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon and asked him to exercise restraint in his public statements about Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
The court warned that similar conduct would be evaluated in light of this warning and may warrant a more severe penalty.
Ridon said he accepts the court’s ruling and thanked it for its understanding, vowing to abide by the guidelines on public statements about the merits of the case.
He also said the warning is not a penalty like an admonition or fine, but a reminder about the guidelines.
“Magpapatuloy ang ating gampanin bilang co-lead prosecutor sa unexplained wealth article, at sa pagpapaliwanag sa publiko sa paraang kanilang pinakamauunawaan,” he said in a statement.
This came after the court issued a show cause order asking him to explain why he should not be penalized for violating the sub judice rule.
In his answer, Ridon said his statements were made in good faith and in line with his commitment to keep the public informed about the developments in Duterte’s trial.
He denied that he had intended to prejudge the case.
In its order, the Impeachment Court told Ridon to be more careful with his statements.
“Rep. Ridon is cautioned to observe the distinction between merely informing the public of what occurred in the Court proceedings and telling the public what the evidence proves or why it supports a party’s position,” it said.
It said there is a need for greater restraint from counsel in the case.
“This is to ensure that any decision made by Senator-Judges is based not on statements publicized outside the Court but upon evidence and arguments presented and tested within its established parameters,” it said.