Lawyers ask SC to cite Sotto for indirect contempt

Several lawyers on Friday asked the Supreme Court to cite Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III for indirect contempt over his criticisms following the SC ruling on the Articles of Impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte.

"Para po sa amin ay 'yun pong public statements ni SP Sotto, all due respect to him, ay lumalampas na po sa legitimate commentary at ito po ay nag ta-transgress na into the territory of statements that tend to... destroy the credibility, undermine the faith of the people in the SC,” lawyer and petitioner Ferdinand Topacio said.

(For us, the public statements of SP Sotto, all due respect to him, go beyond legitimate commentary and are transgressing into the territory of statements that tend to destroy credibility and undermine the people’s faith in the SC.)

Other petitioners are lawyers Manuelito Delos Reyes Luna, Harold Respicio, Mary Catherine Diaz Binag, and Virgilio Garcia.

Topacio claimed that Sotto said that a first-year law student was more knowledgeable than the SC justices. He also pointed out Sotto’s remarks that the Constitution was amended.

The senator previously claimed that the Constitution was “amended unconstitutionally” through the SC’s alleged overreach. He said it would take decades to correct the “misinterpreration.”

Sotto also added, “when the law is clear, there is nothing to interpret, as any first-year law student knows.”

This came after the SC En Banc “denied with finality” the motion for reconsideration filed by the House, which sought to reverse the decision that declared the articles of impeachment against Duterte as unconstitutional.

Topacio said they are not seeking to silence Sotto.

“Hindi po ito para patahimikin si Senate President Sotto katulad ng sinasabi ng iba. He’s free to say what he wants basta ito po ay hindi bumabalangkas sa Rules on Contempt and what is permissible na sabihin,” Topacio said.

(This is not to silence Senate President Sotto as others are saying. He’s free to say what he wants as long as it does not violate the Rules on Contempt and what is permissible to say.)

According to Topacio, Sotto is not covered by the parliamentary immunity.

He said they will also file an ethics complaint against the senator.

Meanwhile, Luna said Sotto also has online points which he believe are “degrading, demeaning, and disrespectful” of the SC’s integrity.

For his part, Respicio said Sotto’s grandfather was previously cited in contempt for a similar incident.

“1949, lolo niya ay senador din. At doon indirect contempt. Same case at convicted siya… Ang ginawa ng lolo niya doon ay pareho din sa ginawa niya dito. Criniticize niya ‘yung decision ng SC, inintimidate niya ‘yung SC, binully niya ‘yung SC, at sinabi baka palitan ‘yung mga laman ng SC,” he said.

(In 1949, his grandfather was also a senator. And it was indirect contempt. Same case and he was convicted… What his grandfather did there was the same as what he did here. He criticized the decision of the SC, he intimidated the SC, he bullied the SC, and he said the members of the SC might be replaced.)

“Kaya mataas ang tiwala namin sa case na ito dahil merong precedent na, lolo niya pa. At kung anong ginawa ng lolo niya dati, ginawa niya rin ngayon,” he added.

(That is why we have high confidence in this case because there is already a precedent—his grandfather. And what his grandfather did before, he also did now.)

Also present during the filing was former Negros Oriental Representative Jacinto Paras. He said he is not a complainant but was in support of the filing.

GMA News Online has asked Sotto for comment and will publish his response once available. — BAP, GMA Integrated News