Prosecutor Lorna Kapunan on Wednesday disputed defense counsel Kristine Ferrer’s clarification that she was referring to “leading questions,” rather than “misleading questions,” when she said such questions were allowed during the impeachment trial.

Kapunan made the clarification after Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero issued a ruling on Rule 18, or the sub judice rule.

Ferrer reiterated that her Aug. 12 statement that “they are allowed” referred to leading questions.

“Just to put the record straight, your Honor, when I said ‘They are allowed,’ I was referring to leading questions,” Ferrer said, pointing to the court journal showing that she had been asking a leading question before Kapunan objected.

Kapunan, however, maintained that Ferrer had been referring to misleading questions during their exchange on Aug. 12.

“The ruling on sub judice is very clear and we will take it with strict compliance,” Kapunan said.

She then challenged Ferrer’s characterization of the earlier exchange, saying the transcript would show that the immediate statement preceding her objection referred to misleading questions.

“If I heard it, if the whole legal profession heard it, if the whole court heard it, if the outside audience heard it, then it must be—it is what it is,” Kapunan said.

“She had said, ‘misleading is allowed.’ And I responded to that. Let us not mislead again this honorable court,” she added.

The exchange stemmed from a dispute during the Aug. 12 proceedings over the rules governing cross-examination, particularly the use of leading and allegedly misleading questions.

Escudero subsequently reminded both sides to temper their language and ruled on the application of the sub judice rule, which governs statements that could improperly influence or prejudge matters before the court.