Atty. Jesus Nicardo M. Falcis III is a Filipino lawyer recognized for his commitment to legal activism, particularly concerning LGBTQI+ rights, and for his frequent and critical commentary on political figures and public policy. Identified in legal records as Jesus Nicardo M. Falcis III, he was reported to be 38 years old in 2025. Falcis has publicly identified himself as both an openly gay lawyer and an atheist. While public records do not detail his immediate family history (parents or siblings), his public career is clearly and intrinsically linked to his dedication to civil rights advocacy.

Falcis’s personal status became a key point of discussion during his landmark legal challenge. He filed his same-sex marriage petition pro se (representing himself) and, during oral arguments in 2018, he admitted to the Supreme Court that he was a single man with no partner and had not applied for a marriage license. However, he maintained that the legal prohibition on same-sex marriage still caused him direct injury by impairing his ability to find and enter into a long-term monogamous same-sex relationship, citing the law’s “normative impact” on same-sex relationships in the country.

Atty. Falcis’s legal career is defined by his role as the petitioner in the historic case, Falcis III v. Civil Registrar-General. On May 18, 2015, he filed a Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition before the Supreme Court of the Philippines, challenging the constitutionality of Articles 1 and 2 of the Family Code, which limit marriage to between a man and a woman. Although the case reached the Supreme Court for oral arguments, a major milestone, it was ultimately dismissed in September 2019 on procedural grounds due to a lack of legal standing and failure to present an “actual, justiciable controversy.” Despite the dismissal, Falcis deemed the case a “temporary setback” and considered the opportunity to educate the public during the proceedings a victory. It should also be noted that in relation to the same case, the Supreme Court found Falcis guilty of indirect contempt of court for lack of preparation and decorum, resulting in a fine and admonishment.

Beyond his work in LGBTQI+ advocacy, Falcis is widely known for his political commentary, often using social media to express his strong views on public policy. This visibility has led to legal challenges against him. In September 2025, Senator Francis Escudero filed a disbarment case against Falcis over multiple public Facebook posts where Falcis allegedly used defamatory and malicious language against the Senator regarding controversial public policy issues. In response, Falcis has argued that his remarks constitute political opinion protected under free speech, and he criticized the Senator for violating the confidentiality of disbarment proceedings.

Atty. Jesus Falcis III passed the BAR examination in 2014. (See other passers here.)

See also: List of Bar Topnotchers in the Philippines since 1903