"Damages with application for temporary restraining order [TRO] and/or writ of preliminary injunction" ang civil case (No. 09-64577) na isinampa ng mag-asawang Wilma V. Galvante at Eleuterio C. Galvante laban sa talent manager na si Annabelle Rama noong March 17, 2009.
Bilang asawa ng GMA-7 SVP for Entertainment TV, si Eleuterio ang "nominal party" sa kaso, ayon sa Rule 3, Section 4 ng Rules of Court.
Hiniling sa korte ng mag-asawa na maglabas ng TRO para hindi makalapit si Annabelle kay Wilma mula sa layong 50 meters, at pigilan ang talent manager sa pananakot, pang-iinis, at panghihiya sa nagrereklamo sa pamamagitan ng mga interbyu, press conferences, pagpapadala ng mga text message at pagtawag sa telepono.
Tulad ng naunang report ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) noong Lunes, March 30, pitong milyong piso ang halaga ng kaso na isinampa ng mga Galvante laban kay Rama. Hinihiling nila sa korte na pagkalooban sila ng P5 million para sa moral damages, P1.5 million para sa exemplary damages at P500,000 para sa attorney's fees at halaga ng kaso. (Click here to read related story.)
THE AFFIDAVIT. Umabot sa apatnapu (40) ang pahina ng sinumpaang salaysay ni Galvante sa korte, na pormal niyang inihain sa Regional Trial Court (RTC) ng Quezon City.
Narito ang ilang detalye na nakasaad sa affidavit na isinumite ng mag-asawang Galvante:
"Last 16 February 2009, a story conference for Obra (a television series re-launched by the network) was scheduled by Maria Regina Acuña-Magno (Magno) to be held at the 7th floor concept room of the GMA Network Center. Among the members of the cast who were at the said story conference were JC de Vera (JC), Maxene Magalona, Marvin Agustin, and Bianca King.
"Story conferences happen after actors were informed that they will have a role in a particular show. Consequently, before the story conference is scheduled with a particular actor.
"It is imperative that the actor is aware of the role thus offered. Pre-production having already been conducted, the story conference is done to present to the actors the story line of the program, expound on the details of the characters up to their portrayal and heed any reaction, comment or observation by the actors relative to their roles.
"On that day, JC's talent manager, Annabelle Rama (Defendant) herein, was not with him. He was only accompanied by his handler, 'Noel.'
"Wilma Galvante (Plaintiff) did not take part in the said story conference. However, the concept room was just adjacent from where her office is located, she knew that the conference was finished when she saw each person involved therein pass by her office.
"After a few minutes, Marivin Arayata (Arayata) went inside Plaintiff's office and told her that JC was crying in Magno's cubicle because according to her, 'kasi biglang tinawagan si Otep [Buncalan, executive producer] ni Annabelle, at sinabi sa kanya na hindi gagawin ni JC 'yang Obra."
"Out of plaintiff's concern for JC, she instructed Arayata to bring JC to her office where she could talk to the young actor to discuss whatever was bothering him.
"Magno together with Lilybeth Rasonable (Rasonable) brought JC to Plaintiff's office and then left. There, Plaintiff witnessed JC's weeping. JC sat down in front of Plaintiff's desk and uttered, 'Pasensiya na po, Ma'am Wilma, napapahiya na po ako sa nangyayari. Karamihan po hindi ko alam kung ano na yung nangyayari.'
"Plaintiff asked JC how old he was, promptly replying '22.' Then Plaintiff advised him, 'You know, it's like this, may kontrata ka with your manager. Whatever business it is with your manager, i-discuss mo 'yan with your manager. We cannot do anything about that. What we can do is implement our contract, and we have implemented our contract, di ba?' JC answered, 'Yes po.'
"Defendant is a talent manager by profession handling all negotiations concerning advertising and entertainment deals of different artists which include JC.
"While JC was still inside her office, Plaintiff received a text message on her cellular phone from Defendant which reads: 'Napaka-traydor mo. Lahat ng talents ko kinakausap mo at sinisiraan mo pa ako sa kanila, pinag-aaway mo kami. Bastos ka, alam naman lahat ng talents ko inilipat mo si Heart, gusto mong palausin kaya binigyan mo ng bold role sa kabastusan mo. Kakarmahin ka, hayop ka, gagantehan kita.'
"Plaintiff never bothered to reply to Defendant's text. Plaintiff told JC of the text message that Defendant has sent her. JC responded by saying, 'Opo. Nakatanggap na din po ako.' But JC did not divulge to Plaintiff the text message that the former received.
"Then JC started to cry again. Plaintiff asked JC if he knows how Defendant knew he was in Plaintiff's office. That was when Arayata together with German Moreno (Moreno) came rushing to Plaintiff's office.
(Itinanggi ni JC na umiyak siya sa affidavit na isinumite niya kasama ng counter affidavit ng manager niyang si Annabelle Rama.) Click here to read related story.
"Moreno told Plaintiff that he was standing beside JC's handler by the entrance to the 7th floor offices and he heard the handler talking to Defendant and telling her 'pinasok po ni Redgie (Magno) and Lilybeth (Rasonable) si JC sa office ni Ma'am Wilma.'
"Plaintiff realized only on the following day that the text message which she received on 16 February 2009 from the Defendant was just the start of a barrage of malicious and reprehensible statement from the latter aimed to destroy the reputation which Plaintiff has built through long and hard work and which she fervently protects."
PUBLISHED ARTICLES. Nakalagay rin sa affidavit ang excerpts ng "published libelous, scurrilous and unwarranted statements" ni Annabelle laban kay Galvante, kabilang na ang mga lumabas dito sa PEP.
Ayon pa sa affidavit, "The plaintiff on the other hand, had exhibited grace under pressure. When asked for a comment regarding the statements of the Defendant, in a press conference called by the Entertainment Group of GMA 7 on 05 March 2009 for their upcoming shows for the months of March and April, Plaintiff focused on the issue of the alleged harassment over JC and the enforceability of the contract which the latter is bound to honor.
"It is underscored that Palintiff, has not, in any instance, maligned, insulted, or humiliated Defendant in the same manner that the latter had did to her....
[To read related articles in the Philippine Entertainment Portal, click here, here, here, and here]
"The Defendant, in her display of what seemed to be an unrelenting desire to keep up with tirades of irrevocably damaging imputations against the Plaintiff, went on to send several text messages on various dates to herein Plaintiff and to other personalities as well, demonstrating her utter disregard to any injury that Plaintiff may suffer because of her spiteful, albeit baseless accusations."
Inilahad ni Galvante sa reklamo ang kanyang mga karapatan—ang "Right to Personal Dignity, Right to Personal Security, Right To Social Intercourse at Right to Privacy."
ANNABELLE'S "VIOLENT STREAK." Isinalaysay rin ni Galvante sa kanyang sinumpaang reklamo ang isang insidente na nangyari noong 1997 na magpapatunay na may "violent streak" si Annabelle.
"Defendant has a violent streak. She is known to people in the entertainment industry as truly capable of carrying out her threats. In fact, there was one incident that happened in one of the rented studios of GMA-7, which will prove how Defendant reacts to an unexpected situation, viz:
"Sometime in 1997. Startalk, one of the 'showbiz' oriented talk show of GMA 7 ran a story about Ruffa Gutierrez which looked back on her career as an actress. As part of the video tape recorder support, Startalk used a video footage from the Manila Film Fest scam. Startalk specifically aired the clip showing Ruffa's friend, Miss Mauritius, Viveka Babajee, exclaiming the infamous line 'take it, take it!' so that another Gutierrez family member could keep the envelope containing the name of the best actress in the filmfest, the award, supposedly for Aiko Melendez, was given to Ruffa, although it was corrected later on by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.
"While meeting after the show, the Startalk staff were surprised to see the Defendant storming her way to the program's office, which was then at the Broadway Centrum.
"She started shouting and hurling invectives at the staff and crew as she entered the room. She was bent on grabbing the security guard's gun causing the staff and crew to run for cover. As Defendant was not able to grab the gun, she then overturned the tables and chairs, throw anything that she could get her hands on to the staff and crew who were all scampering away from her.
"Under the prevailing circumstance, Plaintiff is now suffering from this uneasy and disturbing feeling that the former may actually inflict such bodily harm upon her."
Kahapon, April 2, ay nag-file ng opposition at counter-affidavit ang abugado ni Annabelle bilang sagot sa demandang isinampa ng mag-asawang Galvante.