The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered the preventive suspension of Attorney Larry Gadon and ordered him to explain why he should not be disbarred.
The order came after Gadon went viral anew for uttering profanities against journalist Raissa Robles, which circulated online back in December and triggered a public backlash.
"The call did not fall on deaf ears, and the Court immediately took action," the SC said in a statement.
According to the SC, the Court En banc motu proprio (on its own) is treating the matter as a "formal administrative complaint for disbarment against Gadon."
In response, Gadon said that he is "confused" by the suspension, which he said was made without due process.
He even claimed that the decision was politically motivated, as the lawyer is running for a Senate seat in the 2022 elections.
"For an institution that prides itself for safeguarding due process of laws, I am confused that the Supreme Court immediately suspended me without due process and my suspension was announced in the media without furnishing me first with a copy of the complaint if there is any," he told reporters.
"Since this appears unprecedented in History, I cannot help but feel that I am being singled out. Could this be due to my recent statement calling for a refund of the protest fees paid by BBM (Bongbong Marcos) that remained unresolved or could this be politically motivated since I'm running for Senator?"
This is not the first time that an order against Gadon was made after he was also suspended for three months in 2019 for his controversial remarks and "malicious and arrogant language" that he made against an adverse party and her lawyer.
The SC also previously reminded him to be "warier of his actions" and "restrain himself in displaying ill temper."
He was also asked in the past 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," the SC said.
Gadon's controversial behavior in the past also prompted some disbarment cases filed against him.
In relation to this, the SC ordered the Office of the Bar Confidant to submit an updated list of the pending administrative cases against Gadon, while also asking the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to provide a status report of the pending cases against the lawyer.
