The Supreme Court has suspended lawyer Larry Gadon for three months for using foul language against a female doctor and her lawyer.
“Every lawyer is required to act with courtesy at all times, even towards the adverse parties,” the SC said in its resolution dated June 26 but made available only recently.
The SC adopted the recommendation of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Board of Governors which conducted an investigation into the complaint filed by Dr. Helen Joselina H. Mendoza in August 2009.
“Atty. Gadon committed a breach of his oath as a lawyer. He is also guilty of culpable violation of the CPR (Code of Professional Responsibility), the code of ethics of the legal profession,” ruled the High Tribunal.
“We find the penalty of suspension, considering the gravity and consequence of Atty. Gadon’s actions, to be the appropriate penalty in the instant case,” the SC added.
The High Court ordered the three-month suspension of Gadon effective immediately upon the receipt of the resolution.
Gadon, who was directed to report to the SC upon receipt of the resolution, was warned that “a repetition of the same or similar act in the future shall be dealt with more severely.”
Mendoza is dermatologist who holds a clinic at the Clinica Manila of the Ambulatory Health Care Institute Inc. where Gadon was corporate secretary and vice president at that time.
Due to a complaint from a patient, Mendoza was unilaterally suspended by Gadon from practice at the Clinica Manila without authorization from the board of directors and without just cause.
When her suspension was lifted, her number of clinic hours was reduced, and Mendoza demanded the full restoration of her original clinic hours and threatened to file criminal civil actions if not met.
“Complainant asserted that in Atty. Gadon’s answer to her complaint, he had no qualms in using intemperate language. He was not only satisfied in maligning her in his letters, but also used unbecoming statements that displayed a lack of courtesy and candor towards his professional colleagues,” the High Court said, citing the complaint of Mendoza.
In its ruling, the High Tribunal advised Gadon to be “more circumspect in his actions and should control himself better in times of emotional outbursts” and “refrain from using abusive and intemperate language which displays arrogance towards the legal system and his colleagues.”
Gadon ran but lost in the last senatorial elections. He is the lawyer of Peter Joemel “Bikoy” Advincula in the sedition complaint against opposition figures.
He is also the man behind the impeachment complaint against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Gadon drew public attention in 2018 for calling her supporters stupid and flashed the middle finger at them in Baguio City. (Jeffrey Damicog)
