On September 19, 2008 attorneys representing Nicole's filed an indirect contempt motion against the government's transfer of Smith from Makati City jail in December 2006, to the Embassy of the United States in Manila. During the oral arguments, Associate Justice Presbeterio Velasco raised the possibility that the petitioners represented by Agabin could be liable for forum shopping because they had also filed another petition related to the Smith case before the Court of Appeals. Agabin said his clients’ complaint before the Supreme Court was different from that before the appellate court. During those arguments Pacifico Agabin, attorney for the petitioners, argued the questions (1) whether the right to custody of Daniel Smith during the pendency of his appeal belongs to the Philippine government or US authorities and (2) whether there was contempt of court committed in the transfer of the accused from the custody of the courts to that of the US authorities pending appeal. The petition also argued that the agreement between Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney transferring the custody of Smith to US authorities was unconstitutional, and contended that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) violates the exclusive power of the Philippine Supreme Court to promulgate rules and procedures in all courts under the 1987 Constitution.