The Supreme Court (SC) has directed a lawyer to explain why he should not face administrative sanctions for spreading false information about the Court, relating to a supposed issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the former president’s arrest.
“The SC ordered Atty. Raul Lambino to show cause within a non-extendible period of 10 days from notice why he should not face administrative action for spreading false information,” SC Spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting said in a press conference.
The directive stems from a Facebook Live broadcast on March 11, 2025, where Lambino falsely claimed that the SC had issued a TRO to prevent the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
The High Court clarified that no such TRO was ever issued and emphasized that the statement caused public confusion and misled citizens about the Court’s actions.
The matter was taken up during the SC’s en banc session on April 2, 2025, where it was highlighted that Lambino’s claim—particularly his reference to a TRO supposedly halting Duterte’s potential arrest by Interpol—was entirely baseless.
A show cause notice is a legal and administrative mechanism used to require an individual or organization to justify why no sanction or penalty should be imposed for an alleged violation.
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