Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation and disbarred lawyer Larry Gadon has been found guilty of gross misconduct for committing perjury and making accusations based on hearsay by the Supreme Court (SC) en banc on Thursday, May 23.
In a press release, the SC said 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.
However, since Gadon had already been previously disbarred, the SC ordered him to pay a fine of PHP 150,000 for gross misconduct with forfeiture of eligibility for judicial clemency instead.
Gadon was also accused of "filing baseless criminal charges" against several SC officials.
The Court also 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.
"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," the SCPIO said.
It added that the high court pointed out that what Gadon did “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.”
Although Sereno’s appointment as chief justice was subsequently nullified, the SCPIO said the high court explained that this does “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,” it explained.
The SCPIO 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.
