Jamaine Punzalan

Supporters of Vice President Sara Duterte hold a protest at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on July 30, 2025, before heading to the Supreme Court in Padre Faura to file an indirect contempt petition against those who allegedly opposed the high court’s decision declaring the impeachment case against her unconstitutional. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:528px;height:297px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1950392229182525895&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-07-30T06%3A52%3A37.936038%3A805e1afa-34b0-4ad8-91e8-b7e38d0cff3b%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=0145767f7965bbb7141e09438b1dcb46af00e297&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1950392229182525895"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div> </div><p>MANILA — Several lawyers on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to cite Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña, anti-poverty adviser Larry Gadon and analyst Richard Heydarian in indirect contempt over their comments on the high court’s ruling blocking the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.</p><p>Cendaña, Gadon and Heydarian were among the personalities who slammed the Supreme Court after magistrates unanimously said the trial violated a constitutional provision against multiple impeachment proceedings within a single year.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/30/sara-duterte-says-to-stand-tall-vs-greedy-leaders-after-supreme-court-blocks-impeach-trial-1227">Sara Duterte says to ‘stand tall’ vs greedy leaders after Supreme Court blocks impeach trial</a></div><p>“Sa akin, there is nothing personal, this is part of my duty as officer of the court,” lawyer Ferdinand Topacio told reporters when asked about his petition against Gadon.</p><p>“Sinabi niya tatlong beses sa kaniyang panayam na ang Korte Suprema ay tuta ng mga Duterte, siningle out pa niya ang Punong Mahistrado ng Kataastaasang Hukuman at tatlong beses niya pang sinabi,” he said.</p><p>“I was scandalized to be candid sapagkat bagamat mayroon tayong freedom of expression… There should be boundaries kapag ganoon na pong vitriolic na at vituperative at maangas na at libelous, hindi na natin maaaring palampasin,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/25/supreme-court-duterte-impeachment-articles-unconstitutional-1601">Supreme Court blocks VP Sara Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial</a></div><p>In a separate complaint, lawyers Mark Kristopher Tolentino and Rolex Suplico asked the Supreme Court to hold Cendaña and Heydarian “in indirect contempt for their deliberate, malicious and scandalous public attacks against the Honorable Supreme Court of the Philippines.</p><p>The complaint cited Cendaña’s public statements where he claimed that the “Supreme Court has reduced itself to being the Supreme Coddler of Sara Duterte” and that the high court’s decision on the impeachment case “is a betrayal of the Constitution and an insult to the people’s right to demand accountability.”</p><p>The lawyers called out Heydarian’s social media posts saying that former President Rodrigo Duterte — the Vice President’s father — “had appointed as many as 13 out of 15 Supreme Court justices.”</p><p>“The post was not a mere commentary on appointments or a general critique of political influence,” the petition read.</p><p>“Rather, it deliberately and maliciously framed the Justices as beholden to former President Rodrigo Duterte, thereby attributing impropriety, lack of independence, and judicial bias to the Supreme Court as an institution.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/26/sc-ruling-on-vp-sara-impeachment-lets-officials-skirt-accountability-activist-groups-1111">SC ruling on VP Sara impeachment lets officials skirt accountability — activist groups</a></div><p>Indirect contempt refers to acts committed outside of court hearings and procedures that may degrade, obstruct, or embarrass the court’s authority.</p><p>Penalties for indirect contempt against a regional trial court or other higher courts include a fine not exceeding P30,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 6 months.</p><p>In a statement, Gadon said that he understands why Topacio had to file a case against him.</p><p>“This is his style, creating a lot of noise to attract publicity and attention to himself,” said Gadon, who currently serves as Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation.</p><p>“The fact is he is just doing his best to earn his keeps, justify his gargantuan fees,” he said.</p><p>Heydarian, on the other hand, said that he has yet to read the petition against him.</p><p>“But I have full confidence in our highest court and respected justices not to bother with such frivolity,” he said in a statement sent to reporters.</p><p>Cendaña said the charges were &quot;ironic.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Talagang sila pa ang magkakaso. Tumingin muna sila sa salamin. They themselves have displayed absolute contempt for the rule of law. They have never shown respect for the law unless they can weaponize it and use it to their advantage,&quot; he said in a statement. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/29/senate-to-tackle-supreme-court-ruling-on-duterte-impeachment-on-aug-6-1717">Senate to tackle Supreme Court ruling on Duterte impeachment on Aug. 6</a></div><p>Meantime, Duterte Youth chairperson Ronald Cardema is eyeing to file similar charges against Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co, who is a lawyer. </p><p>“Yung sabi ni Renee Co ng Kabayaan Partylist, sabi niya, ‘Sobra-sobra na. Binaha na ang kabataan, binuhusan pa ng malamig na tubig. Hindi katanggap tanggap ito. Kontsabahan at walang pananagutan,’” Cardema told reporters in a chance interview outside the Supreme Court.</p><p>“Ikaw mismo nagkukuwestiyon sa Korte Suprema e you are an officer of this court?” he said. “Dapat ikaw ay neutral lamang, ikaw ang nagbibigay ng dahilan sa taumbayan para sa rule of law, para may integridad ang Korte Supreme… Hindi mo dapat banatan ang Korte Suprema.”</p><p>Cardema said that his group would file the petition against Co next week.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zsEi_Q88CR0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Several lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to cite Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña, anti-poverty adviser Larry Gadon, and analyst Richard Heydarian in indirect contempt over public comments issued against the high court’s decision to invalidate the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.</p>

Several lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to cite Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña, anti-poverty adviser Larry Gadon, and analyst Richard Heydarian in indirect contempt over public comments issued against the high court’s decision to invalidate the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Cendaña, Gadon, Heydarian face contempt petition over comments on SC's Duterte impeachment ruling

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Cendaña, Gadon, Heydarian face contempt petition over comments on SC's Duterte impeachment ruling

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 30, 2025 02:28 PM PHT

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Updated August 05, 2025 04:10 PM PHT

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Ferdinand Topacio

Ronald Cardema

Larry Gadon

Perci Cendaña

Richard Heydarian

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