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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Nuisance suit, publicity stunt': Sotto brushes off indirect contempt case against him

'Nuisance suit, publicity stunt': Sotto brushes off indirect contempt case against him

Published Feb 14, 2026 01:35 pm
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, on Saturday, Feb. 14, called the indirect contempt case filed against him by several lawyers, including Ferdinand Topacio, before the Supreme Court (SC) a "nuisance suit" and a "mere publicity stunt".
Senate President Vicente
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III (Senate PRIB photo)
On Friday, several lawyers urged the high court to hold Sotto in indirect contempt over his remarks criticizing its decision regarding the 2025 articles of impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Sotto earlier described the SC ruling as nothing short of a judicial legislation, as he argued that the high court effectively altered the constitutional mode of impeachment instead of adhering to the process outlined in the Constitution.
On top of this, the Senate President also cited factual errors.
Sotto said that simply expressing a disagreement or the mere act of criticizing the decision of the courts cannot constitute indirect contempt.
"As a lawyer, Atty. Topacio should know this. He has a long record of publicly criticizing court decisions that are unfavorable to his clients," he said in a statement.
Sotto explained that under Rule 71 of the rules of court, indirect contempt requires conduct committed outside the court that actually tends to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.
"I did not do any of those acts. I simply expressed a disagreement with the court decision. That is protected speech under Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution," he said.
He added that the SC ruled that criticism of judicial acts was punishable only when it posed a clear and present danger to the administration of justice.
Sotto also cited the case of Estrada v. Desierto, where the SC ruled that courts were not immune from criticism and were expected to withstand dissent in a democratic system.
"I will formally respond to the petition once I am asked to do so by the [SC]," he said.

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Senate President Vicente \"Tito\" Sotto III Supreme Court indirect contempt
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