Persons living with HIV (PLHIVs) on Thursday filed a disbarment complaint against lawyer Larry Gadon over his insinuation in June that late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III had HIV.
In a briefer, complainants Elena Felix and Gem Cabreros said that by removing “erring members of the bar,” the judicial system can contribute to ending the HIV pandemic in the country.
“It is the fervent hope of the complainants that the members of the judiciary and of the legal system as a whole would facilitate access to justice for PLHIVs, challenge stigma, uphold human rights and dignity for all, and contribute to ending the HIV epidemic,” they said.
GMA News Online sought Gadon for his reaction but has yet to get a reply.
The complaint stemmed from the remarks made by Gadon that Aquino was unable to recover from his illness due to HIV, hours after the former president passed away.
The complainants said Gadon’s case was particularly concerning as he is a lawyer that “commands the attention and respect of multitudes of people.”
“Instead of defending the oppressed and the marginalized, nothing but invectives, profanity, disrespect, unsubstantiated rumors, and misinformation were repeatedly spewed out by Atty. Gadon,” the complainants said.
“Certainly, this goes beyond any political color. In a democratic space, people are free to criticize their leaders — whether living or dead. One may dislike the former President, but any criticism should be within the bounds of law and should not be made to perpetuate stigma,” they added.
They also felt personally alluded to and attacked by Gadon’s remarks.
“Atty. Gadon’s irresponsible, dangerously misleading and sweeping generalizations like – mukhang kalansay, walang namamatay sa diabetes kung maraming pera, hindi gagaling kung may HIV, have pushed back efforts to end the HIV epidemic.”
The DOH had reminded the public on Monday that it is illegal to disclose HIV- or AIDS-related information about another person without consent.
Gadon had apologized for his remarks.—LDF, GMA News
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