Contempt petition a ‘publicity stunt’

Senate President Vicente Sotto III slammed a petition seeking to cite him for indirect contempt as a “publicity stunt,” insisting that his disagreement with the Supreme Court ruling on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment does not amount to disrespecting the judiciary.

The petition was filed by Duterte supporters, including lawyers Manuelito Luna, Ferdinand Topacio, Harold Respicio, Virgilio Garcia, businesswoman Cathy Binag, and former lawmaker Michael Defensor.

They cited Sotto’s remarks that the Supreme Court’s ruling — that the impeachment complaint violated the one-year bar — constituted a judicial overreach and judicial legislation.

In a statement on Saturday, Sotto dismissed the move, saying it “has no legal or factual basis” and highlighted that Topacio, a lawyer, should be aware that simply expressing disagreement with court decisions is protected speech.