Naniniwala ang legal counsel ng TAPE (Television And Productions Exponents), Inc. na hindi dapat estafa ang isinampang reklamo ng GMA Network laban sa dating producer ng Eat Bulaga! kundi civil liability lamang.
Sa inilabas na pahayag ni Atty. Maggie Abraham-Garduque kahapon, Mayo 29, 2025, sinabi nitong gaano man kalaki ang perang dapat singilin ng GMA sa TAPE, hindi raw ito maituturing na estafa.
Ito ay base raw sa kanilang "2023 Assignment Agreement" kung saan ilang bahagi ng advertising revenues ng TAPE mula sa kanilang mga kliyente ay dapat mapunta sa GMA.
Saad ni Garduque: "TAPE still believes that whatever amount is collectible from them by GMA is merely a civil liability and not a criminal liability for estafa.
"Foremost, even assuming that the amounts were used by TAPE Inc. for its operations instead of remitting it to GMA, this is a mere violation of the assignment agreement being executed between TAPE Inc. and GMA Inc.
"Therefore GMA can only file a civil case for breach of contract."
Ayon pa sa legal counsel ng TAPE, ang perang hindi pa nakukuha ng GMA ay "corporate liability" ng TAPE at hindi ng "individual stockholders" nito.
Ikinagulat daw ng board of directors at opisyal ng TAPE na sinampahan sila ng criminal case.
Saad ni Garduque, "Secondly, these amounts are corporate liability of TAPE Inc. and not of its individual stockholders.
"Under the law, corporation has separate and distinct personality with its stockholders.
"Thus, respondents members of BOD and officers of TAPE were surprised that a criminal case for estafa was filed against them."
Gayunpaman, susundin pa rin daw nila ang bagong patakaran ng Department of Justice (DOJ) na ang mga kahalintulad na usapin ay dumaan sa mediation o pag-uusap.
Binanggit din ni Garduque na nagsumite sila ng offer sa GMA upang ayusin ang pagkakautang ng TAPE.
Kung tatanggapin daw ito ng GMA, magsusumite ang magkabilang panig ng compromise agreement sa susunod na pagdinig.
Hindi niya idinetalye kung ano ang nilalaman nito.
"TAPE, as a corp. today submitted an offer to GMA Inc. to be able to settle the amount stated in the complaint which are collectibles of GMA.
"This offer will be submitted to GMA and if this is acceptable to GMA, a compromise agreement will be submitted by the parties on the next and last hearing which is June 11 at 12:30 P.M.
"If there is no compromise agreement submitted, the case will already be docketed for preliminary investigation."
Read: Malou Choa-Fagar, dapat bang kasama sa GMA-7 complaint vs TAPE?
Wala pang inilalabas na pahayag ang GMA Network ukol sa pahayag ng TAPE.
TAPE AND GMA MEDIATION
Wala pang balita kung ano ang nangyari sa mediation sa pagitan ng TAPE at GMA Network kahapon, Mayo 29.
Hindi malinaw kung ang pahayag ni Garduque ay nag-ugat sa isinagawang mediation.
Gayunpaman, inatasang dumalo sa mediation ang respondents na sina Romeo Jalosjos Jr., Romeo Jalosjos Sr., Seth Frederick P. Jalosjos, Michael N. Magtoto, Zenaida Buenavista, at Malou Choa-Fagar.
Read: GMA Network files estafa complaint against TAPE executives