Gadon admits not verifying info with Justice De Castro

Lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon on Thursday admitted that he did not personally verify with Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita de Castro the accusatory information he is now leveling against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“Not through herself. Siyempre nahihiya naman ako for such a matter na plano ko pa lang mag-file eh kakausapin ko siya, eh hindi naman niya ako kilala,” he said in an interview on News To Go.

“I’m just a private lawyer, baka naman sabihin niya wala akong business, wala akong official business to talk with her so she won’t talk with me,” Gadon added.

On Wednesday, De Castro denied giving information to journalist Jomar Canlas of the Manila Times regarding a temporary restraining order allegedly tampered with by Sereno.

Gadon said this does not mean the accusation is false.

“Kagagawan lang ‘yan ng mga paid PR campaign ni Justice Sereno. What is being denied by Associate Justice Teresita De Castro is the fact that she provided copy or information to Jomar,” he said.

“That is what is being denied. Pero the fact of the existence of that document is not being denied. Paano niya maide-deny yun, eh meron na nga? In fact may kopya na nga sa House. In fact approved na ang aking request sa Supreme Court en banc to be provided a certified true copy,” he added.

Gadon claimed De Castro confirmed to Canlas that she contested the said stay order, which was related to the further proclamation of party-list winners in the May 2013 elections.

Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali, who chairs the Committee on Justice handling Gadon's impeachment complaint against Sereno, said Gadon may be liable for perjury over his statement.

Canlas has been directed to appear in future hearings, and Gadon said De Castro herself will be testifying against Sereno, though he claimed he is not talking with the associate justice’s camp directly.

His credibility in question, Gadon again vouched for the strength of his complaint, saying it is based on public documents, which he claimed is stronger than personal knowledge.

‘Yung sinasabi nilang wala akong personal knowledge, balewala yun kasi between personal knowledge and public documents, mas matibay yung public document,” he said.

"Ang hirap i-refute ng public document. Personal knowledge, that’s debatable,” he added. —Nicole-Anne Lagrimas/KBK, GMA News