The Supreme Court has cleared three public figures of indirect contempt over their criticism of its ruling favoring Vice President Sara Duterte.
In an 87-page en banc decision promulgated on April 8 and released recently, the court dismissed the petitions against political analyst Richard Heydarian, Rep. Perci Cendaña and Larry Gadon. The ruling stated that their statements fell within constitutionally protected freedoms and lacked any clear and present danger to the administration of justice.
The petitions were filed in August 2025 by lawyers affiliated with the Duterte family. They accused the remarks of being malicious and offensive.
Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen penned the decision that applied the incitement test. It found the comments did not incite the public to obstruct justice, unlike the 2024 case against Lorraine Badoy.
