Sharon Cuneta, Kiko Pangilinan file cyber libel complaint vs Cristy Fermin | Images: Instagram/@reallysharoncuneta, Screengrab from YouTube/Showbiz Now Na
Megastar Sharon Cuneta and her husband, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, filed a cyber libel complaint against showbiz columnist Cristy Fermin at the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office today, Friday, May 10.
In an Instagram reel posted by MJ Marfori, the married couple discussed in an interview with the press that their family was deeply affected by the claims made by the 67-year-old host-columnist, which led them to pursue legal action.
“Inalagaan ko ‘yung pangalan ko ng 46 years. Magandang palaki sakin ng magulang ko. At higit sa lahat, sabi nung tatlong anak ko, mabuti akong ina. So napaka sakit sakin. My children have suffered. Sama ng loob nila. We’ve been off social media partly because of this,” said Cuneta.
“Ayoko ‘to kung pwede lang, pero parang it’s a message also, artista kami pero ang daming nakakalimot na nasasaktan din kami na hindi niyo naman kami kilala nakikita niyo lang ‘yung trabaho namin,” continued the singer-actress.
When asked what specific claim triggered the official complaint, the couple preferred not to disclose it, as the complaint has already been filed.
READ: Bea Alonzo files separate cyberlibel cases vs Cristy Fermin, Ogie Diaz
An official statement of BSR Law, the legal counsel of Cuneta and Pangilinan shared by MJ Felipe on X (formerly Twitter), stated that the celebrity couple “possesses the same rights to privacy as normal individuals.”
“We have initiated legal proceedings against Ms. Cristy Fermin for her libelous statements against our clients. Our clients, Sharon Cuneta and former Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, as public figures, possess the same rights as any other private citizen and taxpayer—they have the right to privacy and to be protected against defamatory, malicious, and damaging statements, and these rights have been violated by Ms. Fermin,” the statement read.
The statement also declared that Fermin “cannot invoke the right to free speech as a shield to freely make slanderous statements and evade the consequences of such actions” and that it is “time for her to answer for her criminal behavior” as the clients have already been subjected to “unacceptable humiliation and ridicule.”
READ: Official statement of BSR Law – Legal counsel of Sharon Cuneta and Kiko Pangilinan:
“We have initiated legal proceedings against Ms. Cristy Fermin for her libelous statements against our clients. Our clients, Sharon Cuneta and former Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, as public…
— MJ Felipe (@mjfelipe) May 10, 2024
Cuneta is the second celebrity to recently file a cyber libel complaint against Fermin, following Bea Alonzo who filed hers last May 2.
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