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Sunday, December 18, 2005
Lawyer asks network: Air sex change talk
A lawyer is challenging television giant ABS-CBN to air an interview by talk show host Boy Abunda with a prominent Cebuano businessman’s son who, in 1996, had a sex change operation.
The interview was scheduled for airing in last Friday night’s edition of Kontrobersyal but the network, at the last minute, pulled out the segment.
It reported that Judge Ireneo Gako, who presides over Branch 5 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Cebu, issued an order preventing Wesy Quisumbing from giving interviews to the media, lest he violate the sub judice rule.
The ruling, issued late Friday afternoon, stemmed from the petition filed against Wesy by his father, Norberto Quisumbing of the Norkis conglomerate.
But in a three-page letter to the network, lawyer Paris Real said Judge Gako’s ruling does not serve as a restraining order against the airing of the interview that was taped weeks ahead.
Gako, he said, does not even exercise jurisdiction over ABS-CBN. Not only is the network based outside Gako’s territorial jurisdiction as a Cebu RTC judge, the network is also a non-party to the charges between Wesy and his parents and siblings.
‘Discrimination’
Besides, he said, “interviews concerning court cases of the so-called ‘normal people’ are being done wantonly and without due regard to the sub judice doctrine. Ms. Quisumbing’s personal story, which does not even touch on the pending case, is apparently being suppressed just because she is perceived to belong to a very unique group of people.”
Wesy has filed a string of civil cases against his father but these focused on his alleged illegal dismissal as president and chief executive officer of the family-owned Norkis Distributors and the Norkis Summa Group of Companies.
Real said ABS-CBN owes it to the younger Quisumbing to air the interview.
He said it was not Wesy who sought the interview but Abunda, who wrote to them after the story about the cases Wesy filed came out in the press.
Sun.Star Cebu reported the filing of the complaint last Dec. 6.
“In the same letter, you likewise emphasized the need to feature Ms. Quisumbing’s story to ultimately put a stop to the discrimination of people similarly situated as Ms. Quisumbing because of their sexual orientation,” part of Real’s letter read.
Integrity
Real hinted that if the network really believed in the integrity of its news and public affairs division, then it should air the interview.
He said Abunda’s interview did not delve on the merits of the case and, in a conversation last Dec. 15, the host even informed him that he got comments from “Ms. Quisumbing’s adversaries.”
Wesy, in the several complaints he filed, asked for millions of pesos in damages, lawyer’s fees and litigation reimbursements.
He impleaded his parents Norberto and Britta Quisumbing, and siblings Ma. Regina Quisumbing-Alvarez, Emelynn Quisumbing-Panuncialman, and Luis, Juanito and Johanna Quisumbing.
In one of the suits, Wesy said he was illegally removed as president and chief operating officer of Norkis Distributors and the Norkis Summa Group in 2002.
Removal
The corporate case also includes illegal withholding of compensation, allowances and benefits, back wages and damages.
Wesy alleged that he was removed because his parents and his siblings disapproved of a transgender reassignment operation, or sex change, he had almost 10 years ago. This is dealt with in a separate civil case for damages.
Wesy, born Norberto Wenceslao Jesus B. Quisumbing III until his court-approved change of name and civil registration, was the top officer and vice president of the Norkis Distributor Group of Companies and the Norkis Summa Group of Companies from 1980 to 1986, according to the suit.
He said his parents conspired with his brothers and sisters to legitimize his dismissal through a “fraudulent” audit report detailing how he allegedly misappropriated P541.2 million in company funds.
This is also dealt with in a separate civil case to nullify the audit reports and for damages.
Battle
Wesy also impleaded Norkis Distributors, the Norkis Summa Group and individual businesses belonging to the Norkis Group of Companies.
In one of the suits, Wesy impleaded accountant Wan Margaret Nonato and the accounting firm Cebu Business and Investment Consultants, which made the audit report.
Wesy said he was president and chief executive officer of the firm until his alleged illegal removal last Oct. 24, 2002.
His father, as chairperson of Norkis, and mother, as vice chairperson, ordered his removal as president and director of the Norkis Distributors and “illegally installed” his brother, Luis Quisumbing, to the post last Oct. 24, 2002.
His parents also placed all his allowances “on hold” by virtue of an office order. (KNR)
(December 18, 2005 issue)
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