Manila, June 11 -- Former Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday pushed back against claims that the Supreme Court's dismissal of public school teacher Barry Aquino Tayam's petition on the Senate quorum issue weakened the legal basis for recognizing 12 senators as a valid quorum.

In a Viber message to reporters, Sotto said the High Court did not rule against the 12-member quorum position but merely found no need to take up Tayam's petition.

"Some people misunderstand it. The petition is not justiciable therefore no need for SC to take it up," Sotto said.

Sotto said critics were wrong to treat the dismissal as proof that the 12-of-23 argument was invalid.

"Daming wishful thinking trying to fool people into thinking na mali ang...