MANILA – Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon downplayed the indirect contempt complaint filed against him before the Supreme Court by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio over his remarks criticizing the tribunal’s ruling on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Gadon, who has had prior legal run-ins with the high court, responded with sarcasm, challenging Topacio to a “voice and singing competition.”

“I challenge Atty. Topacio to a one-on-one voice and singing competition, for a cause,” Gadon said in a message to reporters.

He also questioned Topacio’s motives for filing the case. “I understand why my friend Atty. Ferdie Topacio had to file a contempt case against me for bluntly telling the truth about the impeachment ruling of the SC. This is his style, creating a lot of noise to attract publicity and attention to himself. Some clients mistake empty noise and rhetoric insults as signs of a brilliant lawyer,” Gadon said.

“Exonerations and acquittals do not need noise but reason,” he added.

Topacio, for his part, maintained that the issue “was no laughing matter.”

In a separate petition, lawyers Mark Tolentino and Rolex Suplico also urged the Supreme Court to cite political analyst Richard Heydarian and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña for indirect contempt over their statements on the ruling.

On July 25, the Supreme Court ruled that the impeachment complaint against Duterte violated the one-year ban on initiating such cases, rendering it unconstitutional. (PNA)