SC suspends Atty. Gadon after hurling profanities against journalist Raissa Robles
The Supreme Court (SC) has issued on Tuesday, Jan. 4 a resolution ordering Atty. Lorenzo “Larry” G. Gadon a preventive suspension and an explanation on why he should not be disbarred after foul-mouthed journalist Raissa Robles in a viral video. The said preventive suspension is effective immediately as per the practice of the law and to last until lifted by the Court.
“The Supreme Court today ordered the preventive suspension of Atty. Lorenzo G. Gadon and for him to show cause why he should not be meted with the ultimate penalty of disbarment in connection with his viral video uttering profanities against journalist Raissa Robles,” SC wrote in a statement.
“On December 15, 2021, a video of Gadon uttering profanities against Robles went viral in social media, where the former appeared exasperated by the fact that Robles called Ferdinand 'Bong-Bong' R. Marcos a tax evader,” the statement added.
Furthermore, the SC recognized the urgency of the public to the Court and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) to discipline Gadon as his remarks are not only an insult to Robles alone, but to the entire legal profession as well.
They added that the call of the public will not be disregarded, hence the court will take immediate action.
— Philippine Supreme Court Public Information Office (@SCPh_PIO) January 4, 2022
Likewise, the Court En Banc motu proprio or they will act on their own while treating the incident as a formal disbarment complaint against Gadon. The court give him 10-days to respond to the said complaint.
“In a Resolution issued today, January 4, 2022, the Court En Banc motu proprio treated the matter as a formal administrative complaint for disbarment against Gadon, who was given a non- extendible period of 10 days to file his comment, in consideration of the numerous prior controversies leading to the disbarment cases filed against Gadon, and the most recent viral video where he displayed the same controversial behavior despite previous warnings,” the Court wrote.
Moreover, the Court also recalls Gadon pending disbarment complaints before the Court and the IBP.
“The Court had previously penalized Gadon with a three-month suspension in a disbarment case in 2019 for: (1) the statements he made about the use of legal remedies as slow and requiring a lot of resources; and (2) the malicious and arrogant language he used against the adverse party and her lawyer. In the same case, the Court already reminded the former to be more wary of his actions and to restrain himself in displaying ill temper and to refrain from using abusive and distasteful language. Gadon was already warned that a repetition of the same or similar act shall be dealt with more severely. But despite such warning, Gadon has continued to display similarly abhorrent behavior, with the viral video against Robles.”
Meanwhile, SC directed the Office of the Bar Confidant to submit an updated list of the pending administrative cases of Gadon within 10 days upon the issuance of the resolution as well as directing the IBP to submit a status report of the pending administrative cases against Gadon.
A copy of the Resolution in the SC Website will be uploaded by the SC Public Information upon receiving the receipt of the ruling from the Office of the Clerk of Court En Banc.
