There is no stopping Larry Gadon from saying what he wants. He believes he can win a possible senatorial election on a hardline policy on drugs and criminality, even tougher than President Rodrigo Duterte’s.

“Masuwerte pa nga sila, kasi kung ako ang presidente, mas marami akong pinatay. Mas marami akong papatayin kung ako ang presidente, mahina pa ’yang si Digong eh,” Gadon said in an interview with Rappler on Friday, December 8.

(Drug personalities are lucky because, if I were President, I would have killed more. I would kill more if I were president. Digong is even soft.)

Rappler caught up with Gadon Friday noon for updates on his impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Gadon maintains that his complaint is meant to strengthen the judiciary, a public service for the Filipino people. (READ: Who is Larry Gadon, the man behind one Sereno impeachment complaint?)

We asked him if he would ever consider extending legal aid to victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs), as part of his public service.

“I don’t believe there are EJKs.’Yang mga killings na ’yan, ano ’yan, gawa rin ’yan ng mga drug syndicates,” Gadon said. (I don’t believe there are EJKs. Those killings are perpetrated by drug syndicates.)

We reminded him of the deaths of teenagers Kian delos Santos and Carl Angelo Arnaiz, where evidence point to execution at the hands of policemen. In the Delos Santos case, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) made the findings that it was murder.

“Nag-file naman ang VACC di ba? (VACC filed a case right?)” Gadon said, referring to the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, where he serves as legal counsel.

Asked if he believes there are police abuses, Gadon said: “There are probably some instances, it cannot be avoided.”

But Gadon said he would consider helping out in EJK cases “if I have the time.”

We asked him if he sees any irregularities with the police war on drugs, and that’s when he said he would kill more if he were President.

“You think you can win [a Senate seat] on those pronouncements?” Rappler asked.

“Yes,” Gadon said.

We asked if it’s because he sees that the tough-talking, candid style works with the voters.

“Not only that, eh kung ’yun ’yung gusto kong gawin eh, I will really do it, kapag ako nandiyan (if that’s what I want to do, I will really do it if I were there),” Gadon said.

Earlier in the interview, Gadon said he’s considering running for the Senate again in 2019 because “a lot of people are pushing me.”

“Nagsawa na kasi ang mga Pilipino sa pambobola ng mga dilaw, ’yung pag-indoctrinate nila sa mga Aquinos, the heroism, actually it really ruined the country,” Gadon said.

(The Filipinos are fed up with the flowery words of the Yellows, the indoctrination of the Aquinos, their heroism, actually it ruined the country.)

Careful with words?

Gadon’s candor has gotten him into trouble. 

When he was running for the Senate in 2016, remarks he said in a pre-election interview on GMA News TV were deemed hateful speech against Muslims, and became the subject of a disbarment case pending before the Supreme Court. 

He said in that interview: “Sampung beses akong luluhod sa [Moro Islamic Liberation Front para huwag nang manggulo], iiyak ako ng bato at dugo. Kapag labing-isang pagkakataon at tumanggi pa rin sila, lulusubin ko sila doon at dadalhin ko ang buong sandatahang Pilipinas at papatayin ko silang lahat, susunugin ko ang bahay nila. Burahin ang lahi nila, kahit masunog ang kaluluwa ko sa impiyerno gagawin ko ‘yan,” Gadon said.

(I will kneel before the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to beg them not to launch attacks, I will cry stones and blood. If they still refuse on the 11th time, I will attack them and bring the entire Philippine army there and kill them all. I will burn their houses and eradicate their clans, even if my soul burns in hell later.)

On the Sereno impeachment case, he said over an interview that an “oligarch” was planning to bribe senators with P200 million to acquit the Chief Justice. 

Lawmakers scolded him for it, and even asked that he explains himself to the justice committee in writing.

“Please shut up your mouth,” an exasperated Quezon City 1st District Representative Vincent Crisologo told him in this week’s hearing. 

So we asked him again if he acknowledges that there is a need for him now to be more careful with the words he says. 

Gadon answered: “Well actually hindi rin naman, kasi I speak what’s on my mind (Not really because I speak what’s on my mind).” – Rappler.com