Manila: The Supreme Court (SC) has turned down petitions seeking to cite Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Lorenzo 'Larry' Gadon and two other public figures for indirect contempt of court for their scathing remarks about the high court's decision in 2025.

According to Philippines News Agency, in its 87-page decision published online on Thursday, the SC 'dismissed for lack of merit' the two suits filed by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio against Gadon, and by lawyers Mark Tolentino and Rolex Suplico against political analyst Richard Heydarian and Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cenda±a. The SC emphasized its commitment to ensuring that public discussions on significant public interest issues remain free, allowing for a wide range of opinions without fear of punishment.

The SC asserted that while it is ready to punish false comments, political speech must reach a level that incites public distrust in the judiciary and must be evaluated for its potential impact to achieve the speaker's intended outcome. The court expressed caution in using its contempt powers, recognizing the importance of critical speech in fostering democracy.

The case involved public remarks made by Heydarian, Cenda±a, and Gadon regarding the SC's July 25, 2025 ruling in a case involving Vice President Sara V. Duterte and the House of Representatives over multiple impeachment complaints. The SC ruled the fourth impeachment complaint unconstitutional under the one-year bar, preventing the Senate from acting as an impeachment court.

Heydarian criticized the ruling on social media, alleging that former President Rodrigo Duterte had appointed 13 out of 15 Supreme Court justices by 2022. Cenda±a released a video on Facebook, accusing the high tribunal of becoming a "Supreme Coddler of the Philippines" and labeling the decision as a setback for Philippine democracy. Gadon referred to the court as 'tuna ng mga Duterte' in his remarks.