Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has dismissed a petition from Vice President Sara Duterte’s supporters seeking to cite him for indirect contempt, calling it a “nuisance suit” with no legal basis.
The petition, led by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio and other pro-Duterte figures, accused Sotto of undermining the Supreme Court after he criticized its ruling that struck down the impeachment complaint against Duterte.
Sotto countered:
“Simply expressing a disagreement or the mere act of criticizing the decision of the courts cannot constitute indirect contempt. As a lawyer, Topacio should know this.”
He cited Rule 71 of the Rules of Court, noting that indirect contempt requires acts that obstruct or degrade justice—something his remarks did not do.
Sotto also called the petition “a mere publicity stunt,” referencing jurisprudence affirming that courts are “not immune from criticism and are expected to withstand dissent in a democratic system” (Estrada v. Desierto).
While Topacio’s group argued that Sotto’s comments could harm the tribunal’s credibility, the Senate leader maintained his statements were legitimate dissent in a democratic society.