UMABOT sa demandahan ang simpleng blind item tungkol sa isang singer na pinangalanan ng fans sa kanilang mga reaksiyon at komento.
Nagsampa ng demanda ang kampo ng singer na si Erik Santos at manager niyang si Erickson Raymundo ng Cornerstone Entertainment ng 43 counts of cyber libel, 12 counts of grave threats, 1 count of slander, at 2 counts of libel sa Quezon City Trial Court laban sa manunulat, talent manager, at anchor ng radio program na “Mismo” ng DZMM na si Jobert Sucaldito.
Sa ngayon, wala pang natatanggap na kopya ng nasabing demanda si Jobert. Naglabas naman ng official statement ang abogado niyang si Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, abogado ni Jobert (abogado rin ni dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa mga kaso niya) kaugnay nito.
Narito ang kabuuan ng official statement ng abogado ni Jobert para sa kaalaman ng lahat:
“The attempts of the camp of singer Erik Santos in silencing our client, Jobert Sucaldito — a legitimate and established entertainment journalist of long standing — first by lobbying for DZMM to suspend him, and thereafter by filing criminal charges and publicizing the same, are both appalling and alarming.
“But what is even more unnerving is the insistence of Mr. Santos that calling him “gay” is an imputation of a vice or defect. Unless he has been hiding under a rock for the past decade or so, Mr. Santos, being in the entertainment industry, should know better.
“‘Gay’ is no longer a pejorative term in these enlightened times, but merely a statement of sexual preference. By saying that “gay” is an insult, Erik Santos insults all the gay people not only in this country but all over the world. It is an unacceptable throwback to intolerant times and a million steps backwards for LGBT rights.
“Having made it a substantial part of his career to court publicity, Mr. Santos and his managers should not be heard to complain that some of that publicity is unfavorable. There is truth to the saying that if one cannot stand the heat, he should get out of the kitchen. And verily, Mr. Santos cannot try to extinguish the fire because he will come out half-cooked.”
“Jobert Sucaldito was only practicing his profession as he has been doing for most of his adult life. We will resist with the full force of the law every attempt to curtail his rights and prerogatives as a journalist and as citizen of the Philippines.”
Bago pa ang official statement mula kay Atty. Topacio, una nang nag-post si Jobert ng kanyang “official statement” sa kanyang Facebook account.
Aniya, “Ito na lang ang gusto kong maging official statement ko regarding the overwhelming cases filed against me by Mr. Erickson Raymundo and Mr. Erik Santos sa QC para di ko na isa-isahing sagutin ang mga friends natin from the media re my reaction.
“Yes, nakarating na po sa akin ang balitang sinampahan ako ng sandamakmak na kaso ng mag-talent/manager na Erik Santos and Erickson Raymundo sa Quezon City court kaninang umaga. Nagsimula lang ito sa gulo namin ni Erik Santos who happens to be the artist of Cornerstone na pag-aari ni Erickson.
“When I posted something dito sa FB page ko regarding my hinaing, in-elevate agad ito ni Mr. Erik Santos sa management ng ABS-CBN by writing to them a complaint letter against me hanggang sa ma-suspend ako from radio anchoring sa Mismo program namin ni Papa Ahwel Paz (pinag-Vacation Leave With Pay ako).
“Hangga’t hindi raw ako nagbibigay ng explanation regarding our issue, hindi ako makakabalik sa show siyempre. They will take it from there.
“Anyway, ang sa ganang akin lang naman, it’s anyone’s right to go to court if he thinks his rights are violated and kahit maliit na nilalang lang ako sa mundo, haharapin ko ito at lalaban nang patas. Kahit mahirap lang ako, mag-iipon ako ng konti para meron akong ipambayad sa aking abogado para madepensahan naman ang panig ko, di ba?
“Ang ikinalulungkot ko lang ay kung bakit kailangan pang sumama sina Sam Milby, Jaya and K Brosas sa dalawa when they filed the case.
“Dito ako mas nasaktan – ano kaya ang nagawa kong kasalanan kay K Brosas na even before siya nagpa-manage kay Erickson Raymundo ay minahal ko siyang parang anak-anakan dahil alaga siya ni Kuya Boy Abunda before?
“Kay Jaya naman, it’s a common knowledge na sobrang minahal ko ang kaniyang namayapang inang si Mama Elizabeth Ramsey even during the last hours of her life – itinuring akong parang sariling anak at sobrang minahal ko.
“Si Sam Milby naman – it’s very painful for me to see him support them in this filing of cases against me. I’d like to understand them na lang – na kaya nila nagawa ito dahil maaaring kinausap sila ng manager nilang samahan sila or kung bukal man sa kalooban nilang ipakita ang suporta nila against me, I don’t know how to understand it now. Dito ako mas nasasaktan.
“Pero yung sa kaso, haharapin ko ito at ilalaban hanggang sa kahuli-hulihang sandali ng buhay ko.
“Imagine, in full force daw silang lahat with matching bodyguards pa nang pumunta sa korte.
“Mabuti na lang at wala roon sina KZ Tandingan. Richard Poon and Pooh na sobrang mahal ko rin na mga alaga rin ng Cornerstone. And even if they will give their full support sa dalawang complainant, pilit kong uunawain. Ganoon talaga ang buhay sa showbiz.
“Hihintayin ko na lang ang documents re these cases they filed against me para makapag-submit naman kami ng lawyer ko ng aming counter-affidavit. Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat.”
Kung saan magtatapos ang demandahan na ito, abangan na lang natin. Hay, ang showbiz…
