Rosanna Roces should pay P3.1-M in damages to Forever Flawless – CA

MANILA, Philippines – Actress Rosanna Roces will have to pay P3.1 million in damages to Forever Flawless Face and Body Center, after the Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed an earlier decision made by a Regional Trial Court. 

In a 14-page decision, the CA’s 11th division said Roces, whose real name is Jennifer Molina, breached her contract with the company when she publicly made malicious statements against it back in 2004. 

Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr., who penned the decision, found merit in the complaint filed by Forever Flawless against Roces. Associate Justices Ramon Cruz and Pablito Perez concurred with the decision.

 “It bears stressing that the stipulation in the deed of sale is specific and clear that Molina is only prohibited from maligning or discrediting Forever Flawless, Inc, its services, products, stockholders, directors, and officers,” the CA said, noting that Roces could still have brought up her complaints against the company in the right forum, and with enough evidence.

“A gossip show, however, is obviously not the proper forum in this case,” the CA said. 

Roces used to endorse Forever Flawless in a deal that saw her receive 2,500 shares from the company. She promoted the clinic’s services, including treatments by Belo Medical Group chairman Dr Vicki Belo, who was a consultant for the clinic

Then in 2003, Roces sold back her shares to the company for P1.5 million. The deed of sale prohibited her from maligning or discrediting the company or any of its services, products, stockholders, or officers. It required Roces to pay P1 million for each violation, should she breach the contract. 

Roces would go on to accuse Belo of performing botched liposuction procedures. She also called Belo unethical, claiming that the celebrity doctor printed photos of her buttocks without her permission. On top of that, Roces alleged that the clinic caused burns on the skin of its customers. 

The CA rejected Roces’ claim that she did not agree to the deed of sale, even as she himself admitted to signing the document and getting payment for her shares. She also claimed that her signature was forged, which the CA rejected. – Rappler.com