LOCAL personality Jude Bacalso is facing multiple charges, including unjust vexation and alarm and scandal, after scolding a waiter in a “misgendering” incident last July.
Charges of unjust vexation, grave scandal, grave threats, grave coercion, and slight illegal detention were filed against Bacalso, said the victim’s lawyer, Ron-Ivan Gingoyon, in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024.
“Niari ko para makuhaan ko og saysay na maoy himoong basihan sa akoang reklamo kontra kang Jude Bacalso sa kasong criminal sa dili patas nga pag samok-samok, pag himog alarma ug eskandalo, grabe nga pag pamugos, grabe nga pag panghulga, illegal nga pag detain,” the complainant said in the judicial complaint-affidavit.
(I am here to have my testimony taken as the basis for my complaint against Jude Bacalso in the criminal case for unjust vexation, causing alarm and scandal, grave coercion, grave threats, and illegal detention.)
SunStar Cebu is withholding the name of the victim upon request of his lawyer.
Gingoyon filed the case at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.
Gingoyon added that they also have a labor case against Ulli’s, the restaurant, where the incident happened.
“Dole (Department of Labor and Employment) conducted a labor inspection on July 23 and found multiple labor standards violations,” he told SunStar Cebu.
Last July, a social media post that went viral captured Bacalso, a member of the
LGBTQ community, making a male restaurant waitstaff adopt a “parade rest” stance for almost two hours for addressing him as “sir.”
Bacalso is a writer, former TV personality, and events host in Cebu.
Complaints
Unjust Vexation under Article 287, states that “the offender’s act causes annoyance, irritation, torment, distress, or disturbance to the minds… and the act is not productive of some physical or material harm.”
“Wala nidapat si Jude pero nahadlok gihapon ko nga mo dapat siya nako kay matod pa niya na insult gyod daw siya sa akong pagtawag niya og sir ug wala g’yud ko niya gipalagpas,” the victim said in his affidavit. ( Jude didn’t inflict any physical harm, although I was still very afraid because he might decide to physically assault me since I could see that he was very upset.)
Meanwhile, grave scandal under Article 200 states that “the offender offends against decency or good customs.”
Grave coercion, on the other hand, emphasized that the person is prevented from doing something not prohibited by law, or compelled to do something against their will. Grave or light threats stressed that the offender threatens another person with the infliction of a wrong.
SunStar Cebu tried to reach Bacalso through Facebook for comment, but has yet to respond as of this posting. (CDF)