SC suspends lawyer Falcis for ‘vulgar’ post

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has barred lawyer Jesus Nicardo Falcis III from practicing law for one year for using profane and vulgar language in a social media post directed at the supporters of celebrity and TV host Kris Aquino.

In a statement on Monday, the high tribunal’s Office of the Spokesperson said the Second Division found Falcis guilty of simple misconduct, quoting a decision penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez dated November 2025.

The case stemmed from a post Falcis made on Twitter (now X) in 2018, where he fiercely defended his brother, Nicko, who had been charged by Aquino with qualified theft.

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Falcis said in his post: “Yung mga biased na dilawan dyan, halata kayo. Sa allegations ni Kris, paniwalang paniwala na kayo agad. Pero sa allegations namin na she threatened my brother, wala ako naririnig sa inyo? Pakyu kayo mga gago haha check your cognitive biases (You biased dilawan, you are so obvious. You immediately believe Kris’ allegations but you did not say anything about our allegations that she threatened my brother. F*ck you, idiots, check your cognitive biases).”

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Dilawan is a pejorative word used to refer to supporters of the Aquino family.

Jason Gene Baltao, Aquino’s former business partner, later filed a complaint against Falcis before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) for conduct unbecoming of a lawyer.

Freedom of speech

In his defense, Falcis invoked freedom of speech, arguing that the high tribunal’s previous rulings recognized phrases like “p*tang ina” (son of a b*tch) as common expressions of anger or frustration rather than tools for defamation.

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The Supreme Court, however, flatly rejected his defense, emphasizing that the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability explicitly governs how lawyers must behave online. It cited, among others, section 4, which states that lawyers must use dignified language in their professional and personal dealings while also prohibiting their use of abusive or offensive language, whether spoken, written or online.

Partisan slurs

The high tribunal noted that instead of relying on proper legal arguments or citing news reports to defend his brother, Falcis resorted to profanity and partisan slurs.

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It firmly drew the line on the boundaries of free speech for officers of the court, stating: “[W]hile freedom of expression is guaranteed by the Constitution, the lawyer’s oath and their duties and responsibilities ultimately serve as a limit thereto. Notably, lawyers should be cautious in their postings online. They are reminded to always practice restraint in their conduct, be it in real life or in social media.”

The Supreme Court further admonished Falcis for using the politically charged term dilawan, saying it fueled partisan division rather than constructive dialogue. Because a court case was already pending at the time, it noted that his public outburst gave the damaging impression that lawyers are free to insult opposing parties and their supporters.

‘Rage bait’

In a separate concurring opinion, Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen took Falcis to task for showing zero remorse. Leonen observed that because the post was published on a public account, it was calculated as “rage bait” deliberately engineered to draw sensationalized attention to his brother’s legal battles.

While the IBP initially recommended a lighter penalty, the Supreme Court decided a strict one-year suspension from the practice of law was necessary. It cited Falcis’ history of prior administrative violations—including previous tallies of direct and indirect contempt—along with the sheer gravity of broadcasting profane language to a viral, unrestricted online audience.

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In a statement on X, Falcis said: “I accept the wisdom of the Supreme Court to suspend me for one year. All lawyers are under the disciplinary power of the Court and I am no exception.” /cb