Escudero slaps ‘abusive’ lawyer with disbarment raps

Former Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero filed a disbarment complaint with the Supreme Court on Monday against lawyer Jesus Nicardo Madarang Falcis III, accusing him of violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) through a series of “irresponsible and unwarranted” social media posts.

In a verified complaint dated 29 September 2025, Escudero, a lawyer himself, asserted that Falcis’ “gross and serious violations” of the CPRA were sufficient grounds to remove him from the roster of licensed legal practitioners.

The complaint cited multiple Facebook posts from July to September 2025 that allegedly maligned Escudero over the 2025 national budget and flood control programs.

Escudero described Falcis’ statements as “accusatory, defamatory, demeaning, speculative, hateful and/or malicious.” Specific remarks cited included calling the senator “shameless,” “the worst Senate President in history,” and repeatedly referring to him as “rotten cheese.”

The lawmaker lamented that Falcis “failed to abide by the highest standards of the legal profession as to warrant the extreme penalty of disbarment.” He added that while Falcis may argue he used “only words,” the “public and tenacious character of his conduct require no less than removal from the Roll of Attorneys.”

The senator’s filing argues that Falcis violated Canon II (Propriety) by failing to act with courtesy and civility toward a fellow lawyer, and Canon III (Fidelity) by undermining respect for the rule of law when he aired accusations on social media rather than before the proper legal forum.

Escudero acknowledged that public officials must accept criticism but stressed that lawyers have a professional duty to exercise their rights with dignity.

“Frustratingly enough, respondent crossed the line,” Escudero said in his pleading. He also noted that Falcis had previously been cited by the Supreme Court for direct and indirect contempt in another case, arguing this showed a “propensity to violate and continue to violate” the CPRA.

Escudero asked the court to impose the ultimate sanction of disbarment, citing previous SC rulings where lawyers were disciplined for similar online behavior.

In response, Falcis stressed that Escudero should be the one disbarred as he argued that Escudero’s act of disclosing and disseminating the fact of his filing of a disbarment complaint actually violates Section 18, Rule 139-B of the Rules of Court, which mandates the confidentiality of proceedings against attorneys.

Falcis said that the only exception to this rule is the Supreme Court’s publication of its final order.

“By disclosing and disseminating the fact of his filing of a disbarment complaint against me, Atty. Chiz Escudero himself has committed an act worthy of disbarment,” Falcis said.

Defending his original posts, Falcis said Escudero “flinches from those words because they sting and ring true. I speak truth to power.” He contrasted his position as a private citizen with the senator’s status as a public official.