Cristy Fermin and Dawn Chang. Image: screengrab from YouTube/One PH, Instagram/@thedawnchang
Cristy Fermin and her camp are demanding a public apology from Dawn Chang’s legal counsel, Atty. Rafael Calinisan, following his supposed “undignified and intemperate language” towards the columnist.
The demand by Fermin’s counsel is in response to Chang’s earlier demand for Fermin to issue a public apology over an alleged “malicious and libelous” statement. In her radio program “Cristy Ferminute,” Fermin alleged that Chang flirts with her bosses to get jobs. Fermin said this after Chang expressed her disappointment on Toni Gonzaga’s controversial hosting of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s proclamation rally last Tuesday, Feb. 8.
“Naku Dawn Chang, gusto mong ibulgar ko kung bakit ka nagkakaroon ng trabaho? Pa-bash-bash ka pa. Ikaw ang dapat i-bash dahil wala kang mararating kung hindi ka nakikipaglandian sa mga boss,” Fermin reportedly said in the program, as per the demand letter by Chang’s counsel.
(Dawn Chang, do you want me to reveal how you get to receive jobs? You keep on bashing. You’re the one who must be bashed because you wouldn’t have achieved anything if you didn’t flirt with your bosses.)
Fermin’s lawyers, Ferdinand Topacio and Joselito Lomangaya, asked Calinisan to apologize to Fermin for calling her a “coward and a liar,” as per their letter released yesterday, Feb. 12.
“While a lawyer owes his client zeal in the protection of his or her rights, such zealousness must not outrun the bounds of decency and tread on the territory of the impertinent and contumelious,” it said. “It is ironic that while you complain against libel allegedly having been committed against your client, you have committed the same crime against ours.”
Fermin’s camp then gave a deadline for the public apology on midnight of Feb. 16, which was the same deadline given by Chang’s camp to Fermin.
“Your failure to do so within the time given by us will leave us no choice but to file against you the proper criminal, civil and administrative complaints before the proper courts and the Committee on Bar Discipline,” the letter further stated. “It would be to your best interests to heed this demand.”
Chang’s camp has yet to issue a statement on the said demand, as of writing. JB
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