The Supreme Court has ruled that Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon committed gross misconduct when he lied under oath in an impeachment complaint against former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Gadon, who had been previously disbarred, was found guilty of perjury and making accusations based on hearsay in the complaint he filed against Sereno before the House of Representatives in 2018.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) recommended a suspension but the Court deemed disbarment the appropriate penalty due to the severity of the offense.

But since Gadon had already been disbarred, the Court imposed a fine of P150,000 and declared him ineligible for judicial clemency.

The Court found that Gadon included false allegations in his complaint, claiming that Sereno had falsified a temporary restraining order (TRO).

The Court stated: “He knew that he never had any personal knowledge nor any authentic document to support the accusation. Yet, he still included this in his verified impeachment complaint, attempting to lend a semblance of credibility to his unfounded accusation.”

The Court concluded that Gadon’s action aimed to malign Sereno and disrespect the impeachment process. It cited his disregard for verification requirements and his use of the process for personal gain.

In his response, Gadon downplayed the ruling, saying, “Most successful people are not lawyers. I have stopped being a lawyer for 10 years now. This disbarment did not affect me whatsoever, more so financially as I earn more as a corporate executive.”

He also denied any wrongdoing and claimed the decision was influenced by media bias and personal vendetta. The Court has not commented on these allegations.

“Regarding the violation of verification in the impeachment complaint against Attorney Sereno, the allegations therein were not fully ventilated and heard because the hearings ended abruptly as they were overtaken by supervening events, particularly the removal of Sereno as Chief Justice,” Gadon said.

“Besides, the Sereno impeachment complaint was filed in the House of Representatives, not in the Supreme Court, 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.

Gadon described the P150,000 penalty as “exorbitant” and “has no basis in jurisprudence.”