HINDI na hinintay ni Nanay Cristy Fermin ang February 16 na taning na ibinigay ng legal counsel ng ex-Pinoy Big Brother 737 housemate, dancer at vlogger na si Dawn Chang tungkol sa hinihingi nilang public apology.
Bagkus ay binalikan ang legal counsel ni Dawn ng abogado ni ‘nay Cristy na si Atty. Ferdinand Topacio na sila ang dapat magbigay ng public apology dahil sa hindi tamang salitang ginamit sa beteranang manunulat.
Kaninang umaga nagpalabas ang kampo ni Dawn ng demand letter na nalathala sa isang publikasyon na pinick-up naman ng iba’t ibang social media at publikasyon na nagde-demand sila ng public apology kay ‘nay Cristy at kapag hindi ito ginawa ay ipakukulong siya.
Ang ugat ng isyu ni Dawn ay hindi nito nagustuhan ang sinabi ni ‘Nay Cristy sa radio program nitong “Cristy Ferminute” na napapakinggan sa Radyo5 92.3 News FM at napapanood naman sa OnePH at Cignal Play app na nagbigay siya ng komento tungkol sa nasabing personalidad.
Ipinagtanggol ni ‘nay Cristy si Toni Gonzaga kay Dawn sa CFM nitong Huwebes, Pebrero 10.
Ang eksaktong sinabi ng radio host, “Alam mo raw kung sino na pa-righteous at sikat nitong Dawn Chang? Di ba, yun yung dancer? Iyan ‘yung dancer.
“Dancer iyan na nasa ano dati, sa lunchtime show nila. Itong si Dawn Chang, kaya nagkakaroon ng mga trabaho iyan, alam na alam sa ABS…
“Ako, Dawn Chang, gusto mong ibulgar ko kung ba’t ka nagkakaroon ng trabaho?
“E, pa-bash bash ka pa, ikaw ang dapat i-bash, dahil wala kang mararating kung di ka nakikipaglandian sa mga boss, naku, ha.
“Dawn Chang, tumigil ka nga. Dawn Chang me. Charot!”
Ayon sa abogado ni Dawn ay may karapatan ang kliyente nila na magbigay ng puna sa dating PBB host pero hindi nagustuhan ang sinabing, ‘nakikipaglandian sa mga boss’ dahil paninirang puri raw ito.
Anyway, ito ang nilalaman ng sulat ni Atty. Topacio legal counsel ni ‘nay Cristy.
ATTY. RAFAEL VICENTE R. CALINISAN
GHR Building, No, 173 Remedios Street
Malate, Manila
Dear Atty. Calinisan:
Our client, Ms. CRISTINELLI SALAZAR FERMIN, a.k.a. Cristy Fermin, has referred to us your undated “statement” released to media, which we take as an open letter of demand, for her to make a public apology in relation to utterances made regarding your client, a certain Dawn Chang, who appears to be a dancer and show business personality.
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. It would be to your best interests to heed this demand.
Very truly yours,
FERDINAND S. TOPACIO
JOSELITO O. LOMANGAYA
Conforme:
CRISTINELLI SALAZAR FERMIN
Related Chika:
Dawn Chang nainsulto sa ginawa ni Toni Gonzaga: Alam kong magtatampo si Kuya