A SENATOR on Monday filed a disbarment case before the Supreme Court against a lawyer for alleged defamatory statements on social media.
In a verified complaint, Senator Francis Joseph 鈥淐hiz鈥 G. Escudero accused Jesus Nicardo M. Falcis III of making 鈥渋nsulting, accusatory and malicious鈥 Facebook posts against him in relation to the 2025 national budget and flood control programs.
The complaint, filed under the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, cited provisions on propriety and fidelity, asserting that the remarks were 鈥渦nbecoming of a member of the Philippine Bar.鈥
Mr. Escudero, himself a lawyer, alleged that Mr. Falcis publicly humiliated him through unverified claims of pork barrel insertions in the budget and requested the Court to order Mr. Falcis鈥 disbarment and removal from the Roll of Attorneys.
In a response, Mr. Falcis, defended his posts and said in a statement shared with reporters that 鈥淏y disclosing and disseminating the fact of his filing of a disbarment complaint against me, Atty. Chiz Escudero himself has committed an act worthy of disbarment.鈥
Mr. Falcis, admitted to the Bar in 2015, said Mr. Escudero should explain alleged budget irregularities, including a P160-million kickback and P142-billion 2025 budget insertions, instead of filing disbarment cases against lawyers. 鈥 Erika Mae P. Sinaking
