MANILA, Philippines — The Foreign Correspondents' Association of the Philippines on Friday condemned a controversial lawyer and senatorial aspirant for a profanity-filled rant directed at journalist Raissa Robles that contained Filipino equivalents of the f-word and a reference to sex with a dog.
FOCAP called on the Supreme Court and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to discipline Larry Gadon, who had recorded a video in response to a tweet by Robles saying presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr's failure to file income tax returns in the 1980s — a matter raised in a plea to disqualify him from the 2022 presidential elections — puts into question whether he paid taxes back then.
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A clip of the video circulating on social media shows Gadon, who is in his 60s but who has demonstrated a lack of the self-control that most people develop in adulthood, cursing at Robles in what FOCAP characterized as a "violent and aggressive verbal assault."
FOCAP, in its statement, said "the profanity, expletives and sexist insults against Robles violate Philippine laws on public decency, gender respect and the core principles of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines."
"It was utterly despicable and reflective of the belligerent impunity [that] independent and courageous Filipino journalists face for doing their constitutionally protected work in the country," it also said.
Members of the media in the Philippines have faced intimidation and harassment, often from political figures or their supporters. The International Center for Journalists has found that the harassment of women journalists is more common and is often worse than what their male colleagues face.
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Gadon, who is also facing a disbarment complaint for claiming former President Benigno Aquino III had HIV and had died of it, was previously in the news for cursing at supporters of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and calling them stupid.
In the campaign for the 2016 elections, he said that if members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front — a rebel group the government had already signed a peace agreement with — do not want peace, he will "kill them all and burn all their houses."
FOCAP said that while Gadon has the right to challenge statements made by journalists, it should never be done "with such venom and malice that openly flout civility, respect and human rights which are protected by the country's laws."
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It said that the SC and the IBP should discipline "this wayward member of the bar for his boorishness and clearly unbecoming conduct."
The journalists' group said that while it welcomes criticism, it "will never countenance such atrocious and beastly behavior."
"FOCAP was founded during the dark days of martial law in 1974 to safeguard press freedom. The threats have never ceased but we will never flinch or cower," it also said.