MANILA PHILIPPINES – The Supreme Court En Banc on Thursday has found previously disbarred and Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation (OPAPA) Secretary Larry Gadon guilty of gross misconduct for committing perjury and making accusations based on hearsay.
This came after a complaint was filed before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) seeking Gadon’s disbarment for falsehoods in an impeachment complaint he had filed against then de facto Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno before the House of Representatives (HOR).
Gadon was also accused of filing baseless criminal cases against several Supreme Court officials.
In a press release posted by the SC on it’s website, 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 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.
The IBP recommended a three-year suspension, but the SC said gross misconduct is punishable by disbarment.
But since he was already disbarred, the SC imposed a P150,000 fine.
In a statement, on thursday afternoon Gadon said, he stopped and retired from appearing in courts since 2014.
Even before he said he’s into corporate executive than practicing a lawyer.
“Since 2014 I have stopped and retired from appearing in courts”. Even before I was more of a corporate executive than a ‘practicing lawyer so this disbarment did not affect me whatsoever more so financially as i earn more as corporate executive“, Gadon said in a statement.
According to Gadon, Sereno’s 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 on the allegations in the complaint it should be the HOR not the SC.
“Regarding the the violation of verification in the impeachment complaint against Atty Sereno, the allegations therein were not fully ventilated and heard because the hearings ended abruptly
as it was overtaken by supervening events particularly the removal of Sereno as Chief Justice,” ‘so if there is a body that should rule on any irregularity if any, “on the allegations in the complaint it should be the HOR not the SC,” he added.
He also stated that the timing of the released of the SC resolution is Suspicious at this time after criticizing ABS CBN.
“the timing of the release of the SC resolution is also suspicious at this time that i publicly criticized Abs Cbn and at this time that I have announced plans to urge the HoR to open the case of Abs Cbn anew,“
“the Public Information Officer of the SC now is a former Abs Cbn reporter,” he stated.