Larry Gadon wants Sara Duterte disbarred for attacks vs. Marcos: 'Napaka-immature, kulang sa statesmanship'
Disbarred lawyer Larry Gadon, the presidential adviser for poverty alleviation, on Nov. 27 filed a complaint seeking to disbar Vice President Sara Duterte, who's also a lawyer, for her attacks against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Gadon urged the SC to initiate a motu proprio disbarment proceeding against Duterte.
“Such statements coming from the second highest official of the land, seen and heard by millions of Filipinos are undoubtedly illegal, immoral, and condemnable," an excerpt from Gadon's letter to the high court read.
“As a lawyer herself, she should be disbarred,” he added.
Reporters were waiting for Gadon outside the SC, and when he was asked if he regrets supporting the Dutertes, he replied, "I really regret."
"Hindi ko naman akalain na ganyan pala sila," he said. "'Yung statements ni Vice President Sara, napaka-immature. Kulang na kulang sa statesmanship. Hindi siya nag-aaral, basta na lang siya nagsasalita."
Gadon said Duterte is "totally detached from reality."
He was also asked if he's filing the case on behalf of Marcos due to "utang na loob" for appointing him to a Cabinet position, to which he said no.
Gadon pointed out that what he did was "just a commitment" to help the President and the country. He made it a point to mention that he was earning more when he was a private lawyer.
"Hindi mo naman pwede matawag na mas nakikinabang ako ngayon," he said.
Gadon added that he would file an impeachment case against all the SC justices if they won't disbar Duterte.
"Hindi nila tinutupad ang kanilang tungkulin," he said.
Duterte's attacks vs. Marcos
Duterte had an expletive-laden rant against Marcos and his kin during a midnight Zoom press conference on Nov. 23 amid a House of Representatives panel's months-long probe into her offices, the Office of the Vice President and formerly the Department of Education, for alleged misuse of funds. She's also being questioned over the OVP and DepEd's confidential funds worth P775 million.
The VP, dropping "P.I." here and there, accused First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos of funneling cash-filled envelopes through the DepEd. She also implied that Romualdez, during a plane ride, told her that the Marcoses were pilfering campaign funds.
What takes the cake is her unequivocal account of contracting a hitman to assassinate Marcos, his wife, and Romualdez if she were killed.
"May kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 'Pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke,'" Duterte said in response to a commenter wishing for her safety. "Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. 'Pag namatay ako, 'wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila.' And then he said yes."
The following day, Malacañang said they are "acting on the Vice President’s clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the President if an alleged plot against her succeeds."
"The Executive Secretary [Cesar Chavez] has referred this active threat to the Presidential Security Command for immediate proper action," they stated.
They stressed that "any threat to the life of the President must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms."
Duterte, however, said in a statement on Tuesday, Nov. 26 that the “insistence” of the current administration that Marcos' life is "under active threat" is "ominous," calling the narrative "farce" and "imagined."
“There is absolutely no flesh on the bone, and despite the absence of a reliable investigation, authorities were quick to consider this a national security concern,” she noted.
According to her, common sense “should be enough for us to understand and accept that a supposed conditional act of revenge does not constitute to an active threat.”
Later in the day, the National Bureau of Investigation served a subpoena to Duterte, compelling her to shed light on the investigation into threats she made against the President. It was received by her office staff in Mandaluyong.
