š· Fintech News Philippines
Presidential anti-poverty czar and disbarred lawyer Larry Gadon on Thursday downplayed the Supreme Court’s guilty verdict to fine him P150,000 for gross misconduct, saying it has no financial impact on him.
Gadon issued a statement to reporters after the Supreme Court (SC) found Gadon guilty of gross misconduct for committing perjury and making baseless accusations in the impeachment case against former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
According to the Supreme Court, Gadon had breached Canon II, Section 11 of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, which forbids lawyers from making false statements.
“His disregard for the verification requirement in impeachment complaints shows disrespect for the impeachment process, using it to advance his personal agenda rather than air genuine and legitimate grievances,” the SC’s press release read.
Gross misconduct by a member of the bar is punishable by disbarment. But since Gadon had already been disbarred on June 28, 2023 for repeatedly using profane language on social media against journalist Raissa Robles, the Supreme Court decided not to impose the disbarment penalty again.
Additionally, the high court fined Gadon P150,000 and declared him ineligible for judicial clemency.
Gadon claims the disbarment itself holds no weight as he hasn’t practiced law since 2014, focusing instead on his corporate career where he reportedly earns more.
āMost successful, popular, very wealthy and rich people are not lawyers, so the disbarment is not the whole world and life for me, I have stopped being a lawyer for 10 years now. I am a retired lawyer for 10 years already and has no intention to go back into law practice, para sa mga bata lang yan,” Gadon told reporters, while finding the SC’s fine excessive.
“The penalty of P150,000 is exorbitant and has no basis in jurisprudence,ā Gadon added.
He defends his actions in the impeachment complaint against former Chief Justice Sereno, stating the allegations were never fully investigated due to “supervening events.”
Gadon also argued that the allegations were never fully examined due to the abrupt end of the hearings. He highlighted that the removal of Sereno from her position as Chief Justice was a supervening event that overtook the hearings.
“Besides, the Sereno impeachment complaint was filed at the House of Representatives, not in the Supreme Court. So if there is a body that should rule on any irregularity, if any, on the allegations in the complaint, it should be the (House of Representatives), not the SC,” Gadon said.
“The IBP resolution and recommendation are tainted with vendetta as the wife of the former IBP President at the time the complaint was filed applied for Justice of the Court of Tax Appeals, which I have successfully opposed,” Gadon added.
According to the anti-poverty czar, the case against SC employees is still pending before the Ombudsman.
“The SC is premature to say that the allegations are perjured. This is also a vendetta of Justice Leonen, against whom I filed an impeachment case in 2019,” Gadon said.
Gadon yet to receive official decision
He is waiting to receive the official decision before deciding on filing an impeachment complaint against those who signed the order as Gadon claimed that the high court overstepped its bounds.
He argues that the Supreme Court has no authority to rule on the truth or falsity of allegations in an impeachment case, which is filed with the House of Representatives.
“The SC has no jurisdiction on the impeachment case,” Gadon told reporters in a separate message to reporters.
“It is only the House of Representatives who can issue such pronouncements,” Gadon said, adding that he considers the Supreme Court’s actions “an extremely grave abuse of discretion.”
Gadon further argues that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction to comment on a separate case he filed against certain court employees, as it remains pending before the Office of the Ombudsman. (TCSP)
