Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon (File photo by NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines — Lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon on Thursday said he is mulling over the idea of filing an impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
Gadon, who serves as the legal counsel of the video series’ self-confessed narrator, Peter Joemel Advincula, alias “Bikoy,” made the remark after he expressed plans to file an impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo over sedition and other criminal charges filed against her and 35 other personalities tagged in the release of the videos.
READ: Bikoy’s lawyer mulling impeachment rap vs Robredo
“Mas gugustuhin ko mag-file against Justice Carpio at this time… Konting-konti na lang, malalagot na pisi ko,” Gadon said in a text message.
“Carpio is more ripe for impeachment than [Leni Robredo],” he added.
Carpio, Gadon said, has been “misleading” the public with his remarks on the issue of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), particularly on the issue of the arbitral award.
“Wala pang definite [na time kung kaolin i-file], it was just a thought talaga kasi I am concerned as a lawyer that he is telling the public misleading facts,” Gadon said.
“There is no valid and legally binding arbitral award,” he added.
Carpio, on numerous occasions, has cited the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague in The Netherlands in 2016 which invalidated China’s nine-dash line claim in the WPS.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte said that the Philippines “may enter in a fishing agreement with other states” based on the arbitral ruling.
Caprio, however, said traditional fishing rights are longer applicable to the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
“The ruling is very clear that the traditional fishing applies only to the territorial sea and the archipelagic waters. We’re talking here of EEZ and the ruling says that traditional fishing has been extinguished, has been ended by the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)for the EEZ,” Carpio said.
READ: PH wins arbitration case over South China Sea
READ: Carpio: China can’t demand traditional fishing rights in EEZ
Asked if his impeachment complaint would still make it since Carpio is set to retire in October, Gadon said it only takes a week to file the complaint.
“Aabot pa rin siguro, filing takes a week only. It will take one week for the House to schedule preliminaries,” Gadon said.