Gadon denies claim, calls Casiple an 'out of fashion political analyst'

MANILA - Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon filed an impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to seek revenge for his "friends," former President Gloria Arroyo and the late ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona, political analyst Ramon Casiple said in a forum Thursday.

Casiple alleged that Gadon had admitted that the ouster rap was meant to retaliate for the now Pampanga Rep. Arroyo and Corona, who also faced impeachment and whose removal from office paved the way for Sereno's appointment as chief magistrate.

“He (Gadon) was candid enough to say he [filed the complaint] for three reasons. He wants to get back regarding what happened to [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo], who is his friend,” Casiple said.

Gadon had been a member of Arroyo’s legal team in her plunder trial and other cases she faced. In April, the High Court cleared her with finality from allegations she had conspired to misuse P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) intelligence funds from 2008 to 2010.

As President, Arroyo was the one who appointed Corona as Chief Justice in 2010. He was eventually impeached- the first in history- and removed from office over undeclared assets, among allegations Sereno is now facing in her own impeachment battle.

Gadon's complaint against Sereno has been declared sufficient in form, substance, and grounds by the House of Representatives, paving the way for the determination of probable cause.

• READ: House panel finds sufficiency of grounds in impeach rap vs Sereno

The complaint stemmed from several accusations, including Sereno's alleged lavish lifestyle and non-disclosure of fees she received as government counsel in a high-profile case in her 2010 Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.

Sereno has denied the allegations and said the truth is on her side.

• READ: Sereno on impeachment case: 'Narratives built on lies will eventually crumble'

Casiple said Gadon was “not citing anything about accountability or autocracy” in his complaint against the chief magistrate and even publicly admitted that allegations in his complaint do not constitute “impeachable offenses.”

He added that Gadon, who ran for senator last year under the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, a political party founded by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, wanted the vice presidency to go to Bongbong Marcos.

“[Gadon] wants to make sure that the vice presidency goes to [former Sen. Bongbong] Marcos. And revenge—he has this opinion that what happened to CJ [Renato] Corona is unjust and he wants the ones who benefited from it to be made accountable,” he said.

'NOT TRUE'

Gadon dismissed Casiple's comments, saying the political analyst is already "out of fashion" and is using the complaint to his benefit.

"The reality that he is an out of fashion political analyst has finally set into Ramon Casiple. Now he is using this issue for him to become relevant," he said.

Gadon, who admitted close ties with Arroyo and Corona, also belied Casiple's claims that he is seeking revenge for the two, and that he had publicly admitted that his allegations against Sereno do not constitute an "impeachable" offense.

"I have never declared let alone publicly as he claims, that I allegedly admitted that there are no sufficient grounds for the impeachment of CJ Sereno..." he said.

"And there was no event that I have publicly said that I am seeking revenge for what happened to PGMA (Arroyo) and the late CJ Corona. Aside from a being a self-declared pseudo political analyst, Casiple has shown a better talent as a fiction writer," he added.

Gadon said his ties with Arroyo and the Corona family have nothing to do with his impeachment complaint against Sereno.

"My closeness to PGMA and the Coronas does not alter the fact that the case stands on solid grounds and backed up with incontrovertible evidence," he said.