Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on Wednesday scored what he called an “undisciplined” public presentation of evidence in the upcoming impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. 

Lacson said he cannot sit idly by as a senator-judge while the rules on impeachment trials, which prohibit the parties concerned from making comments and disclosures on the merits of a case, are blatantly violated.

“If we allow such undisciplined public presentation of evidence by any party in utter disregard of the ethics of their legal profession to continue, the Senate may lose control of the situation and I am certain it will damage not just the Senate as an impeachment court but the sacredness of the whole impeachment process as well,” he said.

He noted the Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials unambiguously prohibit senator-judges, as well as prosecutors, the person impeached, their counsels and witnesses “from making any comments and disclosures in public pertaining to the merits of a pending impeachment trial.”

The Senate, convening as an impeachment court, will start on Jan. 16 the impeachment trial of Corona, who the House of Representatives impeached last December.

But Lacson said some parties that continue to make public comments or so-called “disclosures” on the case threaten to make a mockery of the proceedings.

“We should not allow such mockery to go unchecked. Either we throw our impeachment rules out of the window or straight to their faces,” he said.

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