Impeachment court to issue gag order on Jan. 16

Senator Francis Escudero. INQUIRER file photo

LEGAZPI CITY—The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, will issue a gag order to the prosecution and defense panels to prevent them from giving information to the media that can sow intrigues and muddle public opinion on the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, chairman of the Senate justice committee, said the first order of business at the start of the trial in the Senate on January 16 would be for him to ask Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to issue the gag order.

“I think it is about time that we stop washing and throwing dirty linen in public and calling each other names,” Escudero said.

Escudero, at a press conference here on December 28 during the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas-Albay induction ceremonies, said the Senate impeachment court would control, prevent and not allow any statements issued by any party to the media that would affect the merits of the case.

Escudero, quoting Enrile, said the Senate court would not also allow any sort of walkout, crying and dancing, which happened during the impeachment trial of then President Joseph Estrada 11 years ago. Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon