The Supreme Court (SC) found Norman Mangusin, alias “Francis Leo Marcos,” guilty of indirect contempt on Monday for abusing judicial processes during the 2025 election cycle, ordering him to pay a P30,000 fine.

In a decision authored by Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, the court ruled that Marcos misused the legal system by withdrawing his senatorial candidacy just two days after the court granted him a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Commission on Elections.

The dispute began after the poll body declared Marcos a nuisance candidate for the 2025 midterm elections. Commissioners cited his lack of a clear platform and noted that his surname could cause voter confusion with Senator Imee Marcos.

Marcos appealed to the high court, claiming his right to due process was violated. The court subsequently issued a TRO to prevent the commission from striking his name from the official ballot while the case was under review.

However, the poll body informed the court shortly after that Marcos had voluntarily withdrawn his bid. In its ruling, the court rejected Marcos’ explanation that he withdrew to avoid delaying ballot printing and saving the government money.

The justices emphasized that Marcos should have considered the consequences of his legal filings before seeking the court’s intervention.

“Any act of disrespect towards the Judiciary strikes at the heart of its authority and undermines the very foundation of trust upon which our legal system stands,” the court stated. The ruling further noted that his actions “made a mockery” of both the commission and the court.

The Supreme Court dismissed the underlying petition regarding his nuisance candidate status as moot and lifted the previously issued restraining order. Under Rule 71 of the Rules of Court, indirect contempt is used to penalize acts that embarrass the court or obstruct the administration of justice.