Pro-admin lawyer suspended for expletives vs journalist
THE PHILIPPINE Supreme Court has suspended a pro-administration lawyer who has used foul words against government critics and journalists on several occasions.
The suspension stemmed from lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” G. Gadon’s video hurling expletives at journalist Raisa Robles.
The Court, in a press release on Tuesday, said it also issued a show cause order to Mr. Gadon to explain in 10 days “why he should not be meted with the ultimate penalty of disbarment in connection with his viral video uttering profanities” against Ms. Robles.
The high tribunal said its en banc motu propio treated the case in a Jan. 4 resolution as a formal administrative complaint for disbarment, citing the most recent controversy and “the numerous prior controversies leading to the disbarment cases” against him.
“Gadon had, on previous instances, publicly displayed the same kind of behavior, for which he is currently facing disbarment complaints before the Court and the IBP (Integrated Bar of the Philippines),” it said.
The tribunal said that it had previously penalized the lawyer with a three-month suspension in a disbarment case in 2019. “Gadon was already warned that a repetition of the same or similar act shall be dealt with more severely,” it said.
In another development, the Supreme Court has reduced the coverage and shortened the duration of the 2020 and 2021 bar examinations, considering the destruction brought about by the recent typhoon and the country’s coronavirus situation.
The Court said in a press release Tuesday that the examinations would only be held on Jan. 23 and Jan. 25. The tribunal previously moved the Nov. 2021 bar exams to Jan. 16, 23, 30, and Feb. 6.
The court said examinees — who are advised to self-quarantine starting Jan. 9 or at least two weeks before the exams — will take four sets of examinations, encompassing eight subjects. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
