Puro comment sa VP Sara impeachment... Senator-Judges, shut up — SC Justice

ni Mylene Alfonso @News | July 7, 2025

File Photo: FB / Senate of the Philippines / Former Associate Justice Antonio Carpio

Sinopla ni dating Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio si Senate President at Impeachment court presiding officer Francis 'Chiz' Escudero sa pagbibigay nito ng komento ukol sa impeachment case laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Tinukoy ni Carpio na hindi siya nagbigay ng anumang komento noon kaugnay sa pag-dismiss ng Senado sa impeachment case ni dating Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez dahil miyembro at bahagi siya ng Korte Suprema. 

“I was in the Supreme Court since 2001, and as a member of the Supreme Court, I cannot be complaining because that case could reach us,” paglilinaw ni Carpio. 

Ang pahayag ni Carpio ay may kaugnay sa paghawak ng Senado sa impeachment case bilang impeachment court. “[T]here is a provision in the Senate rules on impeachment. It says, the presiding officer and the senator-judges shall refrain from commenting on the merits of the impeachment case. So, dapat sila huwag mag-comment,” ani Carpio sa isang panayam. 

Binigyang-linaw ni Carpio na maaari na siyang magbigay ng komento sa kasalukuyan dahil nasa pribado na siyang buhay bilang mamamayan ng bansa. 

“[T]he gag rule is there in the Senate rules. The Senate — the presiding officer, and the senator-judges — shall refrain from commenting publicly on the merits of the impeachment case,” giit ni Carpio. 

Kaugnay nito, suportado naman ni constitutional law professor and lawyer Howard Calleja ang bagong pahayag ni Carpio. Ayon kay Calleja, marapat lamang na manahimik ang senators/judges bilang bahagi ng kanilang judicial ethics