Just three days into his position, disbarred lawyer Larry Gadon’s appointment as presidential advisor for poverty alleviation met criticism from the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) due to his “questionable [antics] and blatant incompetence.”
In a statement earlier today, KADAMAY said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to install Gadon as the anti-poverty czar copies his father’s pattern of appointing cronies into government positions.
"Ang pagtalaga ni Marcos Jr. sa walang kredibilidad na si Gadon bilang Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation ay isang porma ng korapsyon dahil imbis na ilaan na lang sa ayuda at serbisyo ang budget, ay ipapasahod pa sa kanya at ipapalamon sa madumi niyang bunganga,” KADAMAY Secretary General Mimi Doringo said.
The creation of Gadon’s post comes a year after Marcos promised to cut the poverty rate in the country to a one-digit rate. The latest poverty incidence in the country is listed at 18.1 percent while the overall inflation rate is at 6.1 percent.
A new advisor also means another P3.3 million annual salary splurge for Gadon’s P278,434 monthly pay, as per the Salary Standardization Law.
IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa said in an interview with ANC that Gadon’s position appears to be tokenistic, noting his support and slate membership in Marcos’s 2022 election bid.
Agricultural groups Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas also blasted Marcos’s decision, saying that the appointment was “obviously a political favor.”
Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said Gadon’s installation “reflects the administration’s clownish approach in addressing hunger and poverty in the country.” She added that the government should focus on land reform and establishing job opportunities instead of adding a person whose “foul language” disqualifies him in the public payroll.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court announced its unanimous decision to disbar Gadon for his use of profanities against journalist Raissa Robles in a viral video. He was previously suspended from practice and is yet to face 10 administrative cases at the Office of the Bar Confidant and the Commission on Bar Discipline.
“Although these cases have yet to be decided, the volume of administrative complaints filed against Atty. Gadon indubitably speaks of his character,” the high court wrote.
Despite this, Malacañang announced that Gadon will be keeping his job.
“Kung seryoso si Marcos Jr. na wakasan ang kahirapan, ang dapat niyang unahin ay dagdag sahod sa manggagawa at tunay na serbisyong panlipunan, hindi pagbigay ng pabor sa mga gaya ni Gadon na palamuning abogadong tinanggal ng Korte Suprema,” said Doringo. ●
