Gadon, presidential adviser for poverty alleviation, cannot be disbarred anymore since he had been disbarred in 2023 -- SC

Since Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Lorenzo “Larry” G. Gadon had already been disbarred, he can no longer be disbarred anew and, thus, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered him to pay a fine of P150,000 for gross misconduct with forfeiture of eligibility for judicial clemency. 

The SC, as a full court, acted on the complaint filed against Gadon before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).  The complaint sought Gadon’s disbarment for falsehoods in an impeachment complaint he had filed against then de facto (in fact or in practice) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno before the House of Representatives (HOR). 

Gadon was also accused of “filing baseless criminal charges” against several SC officials.

A copy of the SC ruling in A.C. No. 13842 (Garido Jr. vs Gadon) was not immediately available.  The SC’s public information office (PIO) issued a summary of the ruling.

The PIO said that after investigation, the IBP’s Committee on Bar Discipline recommended that Gadon be suspended for two years after it found that Gadon lied under oath when he claimed that then de facto Chief Justice Sereno falsified a Supreme Court temporary restraining order (TRO). 

It said the IBP committee dismissed for lack of evidence the allegation of baseless cases against SC officials. 

The IBP’s Board of Governors (IBP-BOG) modified to three years the recommended period of suspension, the PIO said. 

While the SC adopted the findings of the IBP-BOG, it modified the penalty as it ruled that Gadon was guilty of gross misconduct punishable by disbarment, it also said. 

However, the PIO said that “since he (Gadon) had already been previously disbarred, the penalty of disbarment will no longer be imposed but nevertheless recorded in his personal file.” 

It said the SC ordered Gadon to pay a fine of P150,000 and adjudged ineligible for judicial clemency. 

The PIO said “the SC found that Gadon committed perjury for making allegations in his impeachment complaint not based on his personal knowledge or on any authentic records, contrary to his sworn guarantee in the Verification attached to his complaint.”

It also said quoting from the SC ruling:  

“Gadon knew that he never had any personal knowledge nor any authentic document to support the accusation that Sereno falsified a TRO of the Court. 

“Yet, he still included this in his verified impeachment complaint, attempting to lend a semblance of credibility to his unfounded accusation. 

“This not only deceived the HOR, but also revealed an intent to inflict unnecessary harm to the reputation of a lawyer and former member of the Court. 

“All these confirm that Gadon was motivated by a malicious intent to malign and defame Sereno. 

“The Court added that the subsequent 2018 case of Republic v. Sereno, which nullified Sereno’s appointment as Chief Justice, and the preliminary findings of the HOR Committee on Justice do not absolve Gadon. 

“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 Court thus ruled that Gadon violated Canon II, Section 11 of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, which prohibits lawyers from making false statements and makes him liable for Gross Misconduct, a serious offense.”

In June 2023, the SC, as a full court, ordered Gadon’s disbarment for “misogynistic, sexist, abusive and repeated intemperate language.”

Gadon’s disbarment was ordered by all the 15 justices “for the viral video clip where he repeatedly cursed and uttered profane remarks against journalist Raissa Robles.”

The SC, on its own, initiated the disbarment proceedings. It had earlier issued an order of preventive suspension from the practice of law against Gadon pending its decision on the case.

In its 2023 ruling, the SC found the video clip as “indisputably scandalous that it discredits the legal profession.”

It cited Gadon “for violating Canon II on Propriety, of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, which imposes the standard that ‘[a] lawyer shall, at all times, act with propriety and maintain the appearance of propriety in personal and professional dealings, observe honesty, respect and courtesy, and uphold the dignity of the legal profession consistent with the highest standards of ethical behavior.’”

“Gadon unfortunately failed to realize that lawyers are expected to avoid scandalous behavior, whether in their public or private life,” the SC said.