Beteranang manunulat nagde-demand ng apology!
Sumagot agad ang kampo ni Nay Cristy Fermin sa pamamagitan ng kanyang lawyer na si Atty. Ferdie Topacio sa demand na public apology at pagbabantang pagpapakulong sa kanya ng abogado ng TV star na si Dawn Chang. Ito ay dahil sa diumano’y “malicious and libelous” na pahayag ni Nay Cristy sa kanyang programa na Cristy Ferminute sa OnePH last Thursday matapos magbigay ng opinion sa mga pagbira ng netizens kay Toni Gonzaga.
Bahagi ng statement kahapon ni Atty. Topacio : “Ms. Fermin will respond to your demand in due time, and also publicly. We write this letter, however, to make a demand of our own, regarding some statements made by you as lawyer of Ms. Chang.
“In your signed public statement – shorn of irrelevant discourses – you called our client a “coward” and a liar, saying that her statements are “nakakahiya”, using the word “gutter” to describe Ms. Fermin, describing her expressions as “malaking kabastusan.” Worse, you strongly implied that you have control of the Philippine justice system when you bragged that “we assure you, we will send you to jail.”
“I need not quote to you the specific provisions of the Code of Professional Responsibility that you have violated by using undignified and intemperate language unbecoming of a member of the legal profession in your exercise thereof, and in undermining the confidence of the public in the impartiality of our justice system. While a lawyer owes his client zeal in the protection of his or her rights, such zealousness must not outrun the bounds of decency and tread on the territory of the impertinent and contumelious. Regardless of your personal offense at what you may feel are libelous words against your clients, you, as a lawyer, still has the bounden duty to comport yourself in a manner consistent with legal ethics and the proper conduct of a lawyer.
“It is ironic that while you complain against libel allegedly having been committed against your client, you have committed the same crime against ours.
“Therefore, let us be the one to give you, Atty. Rafael Vicente R. Calinisan, a deadline of until midnight of 16 February 2022, within which to PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE to our client who, it cannot be denied, is already considered an icon in the field of entertainment media, and who has been a writer and radio and television personality for several decades.
“Unlike you, however, we do not demand the publication of your apology in a full-page ad in any newspaper. We simply demand a letter of apology from you, which you and she may share with media.
“Your failure to do so within the time given by us will leave us no choice but to file against you the proper criminal, civil and administrative complaints before the proper courts and the Committee on Bar Discipline,” bahagi ng pahayag na pirmado ni Atty. Topacio, dated Feb. 12.
On point. Hihintayin ngayon ang magiging move ng mga lawyer ng TV star.
Maaalalang binanggit lang ni Nay Cristy in general na “Napaka-righteous at sikat nitong Dawn Chang. ‘Di ba ’yan ’yung dancer? ’Yan ’yung dancer? Dancer ’yan na nasa ano dati... Sa lunchtime show nila. Itong si Dawn Chang, ayan nagkakaroon ng mga trabaho ’yan, alam na alam sa ABS,” pag-oopinyon ng batikang manunulat sa kanyang programa kasama si Rommel Chika.