No texting, media interviews during impeach trial

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is not only proposing a gag order during the impeachment trial of Ombudsman Merciditas Gutierrez but also wants to prohibit cellphone texting and internet chatting during the proceeding.

“No senator-judge shall communicate with any person who is not a senator-judge, in the course of and concerning the proceedings of the impeachment trial, until after final judgment. Such prohibited means of communication with non-judges during trial particularly include cellphone texting, internet chatting, and the like,” Santiago said in her proposed amendments to the impeachment rules

In the course of the impeachment trial also, Santiago said, no senator-judge should give interviews to mass media, particularly on the merits of the case, until after final judgment.”

But Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the proposed gag order was “impractical, unrealistic, and difficult to implement.”

“I’m not opposed to it but it’s very difficult to implement. It’s impractical and unrealistic,” Escudero said over the phone.

“There’s no such animal. We will always be asked about what happened in the trial,” he said.

“Supposed I’m asked about why I ask such question during the trial, can I not explain that? It’s part of explaining the role of the Senate,” he further said.

Escudero said the issue of being partial or not was up to individual senator who will serve as judges when the Senate is convened as an impeachment court.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, also chairman of the Senate committee on rules, said the proposed gag order has yet to be discussed and decided on by senators.

But Sotto expects to approve an amended impeachment rules before Congress takes a break this week.

The House of Representatives early Tuesday voted 212-46 to impeach Gutierrez over her alleged inaction on several high-profile corruption issues during the Arroyo administration.