Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, counsel for detained religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, has shrugged off the petition filed by labor leader and senatorial candidate Atty. Sonny Matula before the Supreme Court. The petition, led by the Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (WPP), seeks to disqualify Quiboloy after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dismissed their previous petition.

In a statement, Topacio likened Matula’s petition to “the soup made from boiling the shadow of a chicken that has been starved to death,” a paraphrased quote from Abraham Lincoln, to underscore what he perceives as the lack of substance in the filing.

While Topacio refrained from discussing the merits of the case in detail, citing its pending status before the courts, he raised questions about Matula’s underlying motives. Topacio hinted that the petition might be an attempt to gain political mileage by using the high-profile case of Pastor Quiboloy for personal gain.

“We only hope that Atty. Matula, as an officer of the court, is not using the high profile of Pastor Quiboloy to boost his political stock by riding on the Pastor’s popularity,” Topacio remarked. “Otherwise, baka MATULAd siya sa mga ibang abogadong nadi-disbar,” he added, implying that Matula could face consequences like other lawyers who have been disbarred for unethical conduct.