MANILA - The Philippines Supreme Court said Wednesday it has stripped a new adviser to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the right to practise law over a “misogynistic” outburst against a journalist.

Mr Marcos appointed lawyer Lorenzo Gadon as his adviser on poverty alleviation on Monday, highlighting his “legal expertise and extensive experience in various industries”.

The Supreme Court voted unanimously the next day to disbar Mr Gadon over his “misogynistic, sexist, abusive and repeated intemperate language”, the court’s public information office said in a statement on Wednesday.

However, Mr Marcos’ top aide Lucas Bersamin said Mr Gadon would remain in his position and that the president “believes he will do a good job”.

The court cited a viral video in which Mr Gadon “repeatedly cursed and uttered profane remarks” against a woman journalist before last year’s election, which it described as “indisputably scandalous”.

“The Court pointed out that Gadon unfortunately failed to realise that lawyers are expected to avoid scandalous behaviour, whether in their public or private life,” the public information office said.

Mr Gadon, who backed Mr Marcos’ bid for the presidency but failed in his own attempt to win a Senate seat, was previously convicted and suspended from practising law for three months for using “offensive and intemperate language”, and faced 10 other administrative cases, the statement said.

“Although these cases have yet to be decided, the volume of administrative complaints filed against Atty. Gadon indubitably speaks of his character,” it said.

Mr Gadon said in a statement posted on Facebook he would appeal against the decision because the penalty was “too harsh”.

He claimed the reporter had been “blatantly spreading lies” against Mr Marcos during the 2022 election campaign.

The left-wing Akbayan Party described Mr Gadon as a “buffoon” and called on Mr Marcos to rescind his appointment. AFP