May kaugnayan sa isyu ng hatian ng pera at ari-arian ang paglutang ng datos ng five-year income ng mag-asawang Kris Aquino at James Yap.
Ito ang naging interpretasyon ni Atty. Lorna Kapunan, abugado ni James, nang makapanayam siya ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa kanyang tanggapan kahapon ng tanghali, August 18, sa Philippine Stock Exchange building sa Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
Sa petition kasi na isinumite ng actress-television host sa Makati Family Court noong Agosto 9—kung saan hinihiling nitong ipawalang bisa ang kanilang kasal, o tinatawag na nullification of marriage—ay nakalakip ang isang dokumentong nagdedeklara ng kita nilang mag-asawa mula nang sila'y magsama noong 2005.
Nakasaad dito na si Kris ay kumita ng mahigit P300 million kumpara sa mahigit P20 million lamang na kinita ni James.
"There is probably an attempt here to show that she earns much more and therefore should get more of the properties. We had not made any statement yet on the properties, but James is thinking about it," sambit ni Atty. Kapunan.
Pagpapatuloy ng abugado: "But he is assuring Kris that all these rumors that he is demanding—meron na naman kaming narinig kahapon, hindi naman namin alam kung saan nanggagaling, na James daw is demanding P80 million from Kris. That's not true! We never made any demands for money and we never will. What James will file, when he's ready to file, is what is provided by law, which is that the properties be equally split."
Malaking usapin ang pera sa sitwasyong kinahaharap ngayon ng celebrity couple sa dahilang wala silang pinirmahang pre-nuptial agreement nang magdesisyong magpakasal noong July 10, 2005.
Ang pre-nuptial agreement ay legal contract na nagsasaad na nagkakasundo ang dalawang ikakasal na magkahiwalay ang kanilang mga ari-arian at walang karapatan ang isa't isa na makialam dito. Magkakaiba ang maaaring kondisyon na nakalagay sa isang pre-nuptial agreement, ngunit karaniwan ay clear division of money and properties ang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit ginagawa ito.
50/50 SHARING. Para kay Atty. Kapunan, sakop din ng usaping ito ang isa pang legal dispute ng mag-asawa ukol sa visitation rights ni James sa kanilang tatlong-taong-gulang na anak na si Baby James.
Nung Agosto 16 ay pormal na naghain si James ng Motion for Provisional Award of Visitation Rights sa Makati Regional Trial Court. (CLICK HERE to read related article.) Ang kinuha niyang abugado, si Lorna Kapunan, ay senior partner sa Kapunan Lotilla Flores Garcia and Castillo Law Offices. Kilala siya sa showbiz bilang abogado ni Hayden Kho.
Sinabi ng 28-year-old professional basketball player na July 30 pa nang huli niyang nakita ang anak. Matapos ang araw na 'yon, pinagbawalan na siya diumano ni Kris na bumisita at makita si Baby James.
Paliwanag ni Atty. Kapunan sa PEP: "It is sad that sometimes [in the] property issue, ang ginagamit na leverage, to get more or less property, are the children. We hope that's not the situation here. Property situation here is [that] ang regime of property is absolute community. In other words, what Kris and James had before their marriage, and what they acquired during the marriage, they share 50/50. It should be divided 50/50. That is the law."
BABY JAMES IS FOCUS NOW. Subalit nilinaw din agad ni Atty. Kapunan na, sa ngayon, hindi nakatuon ang atensyon ni James sa usapin ng pera at paghahati ng kanilang ari-arian. Mas prayoridad daw ng kanyang kliyente ang masigurong malaya niyang madadalaw at makakasama ang anak.
Itong darating na Linggo, August 22, ay nakatakdang lumipad si James patungong Estados Unidos para magbakasyon at magpahinga.
"He's very concerned and very hurt," paglalarawan ni Atty. Kapunan kay James. "If you heard him on TV, his focus right now is to be able to see Baby James because aalis 'yan, e. He's leaving for a scheduled two-week vacation on Sunday, so hinahabol namin 'yong visitation."
Tungkol naman sa lumabas na balitang pinahihintulutan na ni Kris na makita ni James ang anak, ilang oras matapos maghain ng basketbolista ng pormal na petisyon sa korte, ito ang pahayag ni Atty. Kapunan: "I read in the papers nga na they are open to a meeting to discuss the visitation, sabi daw ni Kris. But yesterday when we called their lawyers—my lawyers called her lawyers—ang sinabi wala namang such meeting.
"So, we're wondering, bakit iba 'yong press statement nila, iba rin 'yong ginagawa nila? There've been many statements made to the media, that this should be kept within the parties, that Kris is open to visitation rights...
"I don't know if there is something being done to instruct the lawyers. Because when we checked with the lawyers yesterday, they said that there was no such meeting. So, we're all confused—is this a case that she intends to fight in the media? Or is she going to be true to her word to keep it private and to leave to the court to decide what is best for the welfare of the child?"
Bukas, Agosto 20, magkakaroon ng pagdinig ang nasabing petisyon ni James sa sala ni Judge Cristina Javalera-Sulit sa Branch 140 ng Makati Regional Trial Court.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY VISITS. "In our petition, ang hiningi namin is that we be allowed Friday visitation until Saturday. Friday, Saturday, and then overnight ng Friday, then the rest of the week kay Kris na," pagsisiwalat ni Atty. Kapunan sa nilalaman ng petisyon ng kanyang sikat na kliyente.
Ipinaalam din ng abugado ni James ang kaganapang wala na si James sa tirahan nila ni Kris, kaya talagang hindi nito nakikita ang anak. Ayon sa abugado: "Right now, si James has been kicked out of their home sa One Roxas [a residential condominium located in Makati City]."
Ukol dito, sinabi ng abugado: "We're also writing a letter to the administration of One Roxas to remind them that the condominium there belongs to both Kris and James. And it is under the name of both of them, and he cannot be denied access."
Pagsusuma niya: "So, 'yon yung gusto namin. And that for James to be allowed to take the child to his basketball games, the same way that Kris takes him to her shows. Because this is a child, and he shares sports with his father. He [Baby James] likes watching basketball games."
Kasama rin daw sa kahilingan nila ang payagan ng korte si James na paminsan-minsan ay maisama ang anak sa Escalante, Negros Occidental—ang home province ng basketbolista, kung saan nananatiling naninirahan ang kanyang mga magulang at kamag-anak.
"They may not belong to the same economic social strata," pagkukumpara ni Atty. Kapunan sa estado ng pamilya Aquino sa pamilya Yap, "but certainly the grandparents also desire to see naman their apo. Kris has prohibited James from bringing Baby James to Escalante."
Hindi rin posible, ayon sa abugado, ang hinihiling ni Kris sa korte na bigyan siya ng "sole parental authority" sa anak.
Argumento ni Atty. Kapunan: "Ang Family Code natin joint... Joint parental authority ang nakalagay sa bagong Family Code. She's asking for sole parental authority, hindi puwedeng ganyan. Even if assuming the parties are separated, there can still be joint parental authority and there can also be visitation, with the parties just figuring out schedules. And may schooling 'yong bata, e. [Baby] James is going to school, so that should be taken into consideration."
POLITICS AND FAME.Hindi naman naniniwala si Atty. Kapunan na magkakaroon ng epekto ang kasalukuyang estado ng pamilya ni Kris sa magiging desisyon ng korte. Nakaluklok bilang presidente ng Pilipinas, ngayon at sa darating na anim na taon, ang nakatatandang kuya ni Kris, si Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. Meron din kasing pangamba ang ilang nasa kampo ni James na baka mabahiran ng pulitika ang kaso.
"This does not involve the family of either Kris and James. This is a marital dispute that's limited to husband and wife. It's also a question of parental authority, and there is no need to get the families involved," seryosong wika ni Atty. Kapunan.
Bilang abugado, inamin niya na parehong may advantages and disadvantages ang paghawak ng isang kaso na kinasasangkutan ng mga sikat na personalidad.
"It is harder, in the sense that you cannot keep the confidentiality between the parties, because they're both public personalities and the public feels that they are entitled to know. It is hard, because we all know who the family of Kris is, and we don't want this to stress any of the family members."
Dagdag pa nito: "On the part of James, already the mother [Mrs. Annie Yap] has been dragged into the picture, when all she did was issue a statement of support for James, and any mother would do that. [CLICK HERE to read related article.]
"Kapag showbiz kasi, mga small things napapalaki. However, it is easier because the public is watching, so the courts would not unnecessarily delay and will act on the matter more speedily, I hope."
DESCRIBING JAMES YAP. Para kay Atty. Kapunan, walang pinagkaiba ang kanyang kliyente sa sinumang ordinaryong magulang na nahaharap sa isang problemang pampamilya.
Wala daw bearing ang kasalukuyang imahe ngayon ni James bilang hardcourt superstar pagdating sa mga ganitong klaseng usapin.
"To me, I saw him not as a famous basketball player or a Most Valuable Player. The way I saw him, he really looked like a father to me—a father just wanting to see his son. Kasi 'yon na lang lagi 'yong inuulit-ulit niya, 'Gusto ko makita 'yong anak ko.'
"And then he's worried kasi 'yong cell phone ng yaya, hindi na niya na-a-access. That's what he kept on repeating, 'I want to see my son.' Ang stress niya is due to the statement of Kris na walang visitation until the case is over.
"Paano if the case takes two years, three years, six years—we don't know. That means he cannot see his son? I think that is not fair. To be kind, I think that is not fair. In fact, I think it's cruel to use the child as a pawn!" diretsong pahayag ng abugado.
Ipinagtanggol din ni Atty. Kapunan si James laban sa mga "unfair criticisms" na natatanggap nito sa publiko. Unang-una na dito ang obserbasyong napakahirap basahin ang personalidad ng sweet-shooting forward dahil ubod ito nang tahimik, at maaaring isa ito sa dahilan kung bakit nanamlay ang pagtingin sa kanya ng asawa.
Sagot ni Atty. Kapunan: "He's really very quiet. First, he's very young, there's an eleven-year-old difference [28 si James, 39 si Kris]. And they have different backgrounds, both in their education, cultural, and social backgrounds. Sa personality, he's very quiet.
"'Yong sinasabi na 'under' siya kay Kris, I really don't know. Kris has a strong personality. This is not to say that James has a weak personality. He also has a very strong personality, although in a different way. Strong, in the sense that meron siyang clear concept of right and wrong, especially with regards to the child."
Paglilinaw ni Atty. Kapunan: "We're not aware if there's communication between Kris and James, although I understand that James received a text message once from Kris saying that she's open to visitation. Ang hindi lang gusto ni James, 'yong again, she's dictating the terms when that is something that should be mutually decided by the mother and father of the child."
Dagdag ng abugado: "Sana kung talagang gusto nilang maghiwalay, huwag na sana silang nag-imbento ng reasons, sabihin na lang nila 'yong totoo. We don't even know. Si James nga, as he is reading this [court document], he doesn't know what happened. He doesn't know what the real intention of Kris is. In fact, nagulat nga siya dahil wala naman silang pinag-awayan before Kris suddenly filed this case."
(Taliwas ito sa sinabi ni Kris sa The Buzz noong Agosto 1, na ibinalita rito sa PEP noong Agosto 2. Dito ay sinabi ni Kris na nagkaroon sila ni James ng matinding away: "I acknowledge na naubos talaga iyong love April 26 of this year. May nasabi siya sa anak ko which I will forever keep between the two of us. May nasabi siya sa galit namin sa isa't isa siguro nung panahon na iyon, na nasaktan talaga ako. At iyon ang nagpatunay sa akin that this is not the man for me and this is not the man I want to stay with, because dinadamay na niya ang three-years-old na bata na dapat protektahan naming dalawa.")
Ngunit kapansin-pansin din daw na naging maaliwalas ang disposisyon ni James matapos malaman ang kanyang mga karapatan sa batas bilang asawa at ama.
Ayon kay Atty. Kapunan: "He's more kalmado and panatag. Because when we explained to him what are his rights, and that we also explained that the courts normally are sympathetic and more open to granting visitation rights, medyo gumaan 'yong loob niya."
CONFIDENT AND CERTAIN. Tiwala ang abugado ni James na malaki ang tsansa nilang kakatigan sila ng korte, lalo na sa ipinaglalabang visitation rights kay Baby James.
Hindi gaya ng ibang mabibigat na court cases, kadalasan daw ay very considerate ang korte pagdating sa mga kasong may kaugnayan sa pamilya. Lalo pa raw kung may direct involvement dito ang mga anak.
"I think no matter how bad the fight is, or the hurt, or anguish, or pain, or disagreement between the husband and wife," paliwanag ni Atty. Kapunan, "the court has never denied visitation rights. Because the court recognizes that a family is a unit and a child should not be penalized for acts of the parents.
"In fact, all the more, a child in a situation like this should feel that he or she is not involved in the fight of the parents and that no matter what happens, the father is there for him, or the mother is there for him or her. In this situation, iba 'yong away ng mag-asawa, iba naman 'yong issue ng visitation over the child. So, the court will always give visitation over the child because that's good for the child."
Mabilis at sigurado ang naging tugon ng abugado nang tanungin namin muli kung kumpiyansa ba silang mapagbibigyan ang hiling ng two-time MVP awardee na makasama paminsan-minsan at mabisita muli ang nawalay na anak.
"Yes!" sagot ni Atty. Kapunan. "We are very confident."