Lawyer says text messages in Gretchen Fullido complaint taken out of context

MANILA, Philippines – The lawyer of ABS-CBN executives being accused of sexual harassment by Gretchen Fullido said that an earlier complaint against her clients was dismissed because the text messages used as evidence “were distorted and maliciously taken out of their conversation threads.”

Fullido on Friday, October 5, filed a sexual harassment case against former ABS-CBN News executive Cheryl Favila and ABS-CBN News segment producer Maricar Asprec, after the two allegedly sent her text messages with sexual innuendos and requests for sexual favors. 

The ABS-CBN reporter had previously filed administrative complaints against Favila and Asprec. According to Fullido’s lawyer, ABS-CBN management dismissed the sexual harassment case, but held Favila liable for gross misconduct, leading to her dismissal. 

In a statement sent to Rappler on Saturday, October 6, lawyer Evalyn Ursua said it was “unfortunate” that Fullido pursued a criminal complaint against her clients even after ABS-CBN dismissed the earlier complaint. 

“This dismissal came about after Favila and Asprec proved that the text messages that Fullido used as evidence were distorted and maliciously taken out of their conversation threads,” Ursua noted. 

Ursua said the story behind Fullido’s “baseless charge of sexual harassment” is a complex one, and involves “personal, professional, and political matters.”

Ursua, who identifies as a feminist lawyer, added that Fullido’s complaint is an example of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.

“The prevailing homophobia in society results in a stereotyped belief that women of same-sex sexual orientation indiscriminately go after any woman or are prone to sexually harass other women,” she said.

She called on members of the LGBTQ community to examine the case closely and stand by Favila and Asprec, who she described as “two decent and upright women whose integrity is widely known among their peers and colleagues.”

Ursua said that while she is a women’s rights advocate, she will never support “any abuse of the right to file a sexual harassment complaint based on fabricated stories and out of pure malice.”

“It is the duty of every women’s rights advocate to ensure that a woman complainant exercises her right to file a sexual harassment complaint responsibly,” she said.

Ursua added, “While it pains me to go against another woman in a sexual harassment case, I welcome the opportunity to rise to the defense of two women who are wrongly accused.”

Here is Ursua’s statement in full:

Statement from Atty Evalyn G. Ursua on Fullido’s Sexual Harassment Complaint

It is unfortunate that Gretchen Fullido has chosen to pursue a criminal complaint of sexual harassment against my clients Cheryl Favila and Maricar Asprec despite that the same complaint had been previously dismissed as baseless after a thorough formal investigation within ABS CBN. This dismissal came about after Favila and Asprec proved that the text messages that Fullido used as evidence were distorted and maliciously taken out of their conversation threads.

The story behind Fullido’s baseless charge of sexual harassment is a complex one, involving personal, professional, and political matters. Her baseless complaint is also a classic example of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals and gender stereotyping against them in matters of sexuality. The prevailing homophobia in society results in a stereotyped belief that women of same-sex sexual orientation indiscriminately go after any woman or are prone to sexually harass other women. We invite the LGBTQ community to examine this case closely and to stand by Favila and Asprec, two decent and upright women whose integrity is widely known among their peers and colleagues.

I have always been an advocate of women’s rights and empowerment in my personal and professional life. My decades of work as a feminist lawyer speak of my consistent advocacy against those who abuse women and girl children. But while I am a women’s rights advocate, I have never supported nor will I ever support any abuse of the right to file a sexual harassment complaint based on fabricated stories and out of pure malice. It is the duty of every women’s rights advocate to ensure that a woman complainant exercises her right to file a sexual harassment complaint responsibly. We owe this to the thousands of advocates and genuine victims who fought long and hard to have this form of abuse recognized by society and the State, and to have remedies institutionalized in law.

While it pains me to go against another woman in a sexual harassment case, I welcome the opportunity to rise to the defense of two women who are wrongly accused. I hope that, with truth on their side, they will be vindicated in God’s time.

Fullido also filed libel cases against ABS-CBN executives Ces Drilon and Venancio Borromeo, and reporter Marie Lozano. She claimed that they damaged her reputation by saying she filed sexual harassment complaints to leverage her employment status at the network.

Drilon has responded to the libel charges, saying that Fullido’s allegations against her were “unthinkable.” – Rappler.com