Images courtesy of Instagram: cesdrilon, gretsfullido and iammarielozano
The Office of the Prosecutor of Quezon City has dismissed libel charges filed by ABS-CBN anchor Gretchen Fullido against ABS-CBN journalist Ces Drilon and ABS-CBN news reporter Marie Lozano.
Prosecutors recommended the dismissal of the libel charges, saying Drilon's and Lozano's sworn statements about Fullido submitted to the ABS-CBN Ad Hoc Investigating Committee are "not defamatory."
"In our point of view, the person who executed the same is merely stating her opinion or observation. Also, relaying to another person words which you previously heard is not defamatory and malicious," the resolution on the complaint against Drilon read.
Fullido earlier filed sexual harassment charges against former TV Patrol supervising producer Cheryl Favila and segment producer Maricar Asprec, alleging they "sent her text messages that were loaded with sexual innuendos, which amounted to requests for sexual favors."
The management of ABS-CBN Corp found Favila liable for gross misconduct while dismissing the sexual harassment case against her, leading to her dismissal from the company.
Fullido also filed libel charges against Drilon, Lozano, and ABS-CBN News executive Venancio Borromeo for allegedly damaging her reputation when they said her administrative complaint was a way to leverage her employment status in the network.
Fullido's lawyer Marvin Aceron earlier accused Drilon of victim-shaming when she submitted a sworn statement that said Fullido only laughed off comments about "her body, manner of dress or behavior that, in my opinion, constituted sexual harassment or at least inappropriate behavior."
Drilon also recalled a statement made by Fullido that she was "willing to wear a bikini with an inflatable pool with bubbles to shove up the ratings of TV Patrol."
Fullido accused Lozano of libel after the latter executed a sworn statement to the ABS-CBN Ad Hoc Investigating Committee, saying Fullido filed a complaint because "she wanted to hold on to Star Patrol."
"Before all this, rumors were spreading that the time has come for her to be replaced after celebrity patrollers started sitting in for Gretchen. The issue blew up after Kim Chiu whose stint was a trending topic said (in Mario Dumaual's report) that she was ready to do Star Patrol anytime," Lozano's statement read.
Drilon has said it was "unthinkable" for her to "belittle" victims of sexual abuse as she was also a "victim of sexual harassment before."
"Throughout my life, I have been an advocate of women's rights and women's empowerment," she said in a statement.
"It is unthinkable for me to say what Gretchen Fullido alleges," she said.
"I would never belittle any woman coming out to speak of any abuse committed against her. It is everything against I stand for as a woman," she said.
News.abs-cbn.com is the official website of ABS-CBN News.
Ang awkward na nito sa workplace. Akala niya siguro lahat mapapatalsik niya.
ReplyDeleteSeriously? Akala niya siguro? Masama bang ipaglaban niya sarili niya sa legal na paraan? Kailangan silent lang parati? Halata namang may bullying/power tripping na nagaganap. Aminin nating mga babae, tayo mismo yung nagsisiraan.
DeleteLeverage.....
Deletetrue
DeleteAng masaklap diyan, di naman aalis yang si Gretchen sa KaF News kahit anong awkward ng environment. Saan siya pupulutin, PTV 4? Sorry, di siya GMA News levels, options are slim for her. Kawawa lang...
DeleteMay bullying pala pero hindi siya umalis agad. Plus ang mga texts niya.
Deletekaloka threatened na dw na alisin sa star patrol,she needs to evolved din,tagal nya same gig pa din,dami pang chismis sa kanya.di tuloy matanggal kc sabihin harassment din.
ReplyDeleteAgree. She's never improved from the time she started there. Hindi maganda tignan na she's still there sa TV Patrol when there are other more deserving to be in that place.
DeleteBawal naman talaga mag alis ng emoloyees ng basta basta ah. Nasa batad yan. Unless may ginawa syang illegal. Meron ba? Wala dba
Delete11:07 oo hindi sya pwedeng basta tanggalin sa ABS CBN PERO walang batas na nagsasabing hindi sya pwedeng palitan sa Tav Patrol.
DeleteIsnt that the same 12:22 lol
Delete6:23 NOPE. Employee sya ng network, hindi ng show. pag tinanggal sya sa TV Patrol, employee pa rin sya ng ABS CBN. Pwede syang ilipat ng ibang show. Gets?
DeleteAng mahirap sa mga ganitong kaso, dismissed man, the damage (on both parties) is already there; especially in media where perception is one of their currencies.
ReplyDeleteAs Filipinos are non confrontational culturally then yes it is awkward. But that mindset should change!
DeleteSi marie lozano waley n b s abs*news?
ReplyDeleteSa ANC mostly ang shows niya pang travel, hollywood, and lifestyle features ang lola mo. Mga sosyal sosyalan ganern.
DeleteGretchen should just resign.
ReplyDeleteShe will hold on to her job as much as she can.
DeleteWhy don't you tell that to the ones na deserve na mag resign 12:23am?
Delete1246: what do you mean? I will tell the ones who deserve to resign "she will hold on to her job as much as she can"?
DeleteThat shouldn’t be the mindset towards this. You tell her to resign because she’s being bullied?? Who wins now— her bullies do.
DeleteAnd even if she did wear a bikini in a pool to up the ratings, the comments towards those are also bullying and derogatory.
Women’s rights is about a woman being able to do anything without being judged and belittled for it.
No matter what they say... what they did to ms gretch is a form of bullying. The heck would you consider that it is just a cmmentary thingy... that’s bullying peeps!
ReplyDeleteThe damage is done.
ReplyDeleteDrillon, the way a woman dress does don’t constitute welcoming sexual harassment. Your sworn statement is victim shaming.
ReplyDeleteAmen! If anything, the statement from Ms drilon just proves that the others have indeed treated her in a derogative manner because of their attitude towards this — you think a woman is weak and is reduced to a sexual fantasy because she is wearing a bikini???
DeleteSuper awkward na siguro sa workplace knowing she still works there and I am assuming she won't leave. I condone harassment ha pero Like where are you going to transfer? Not unless she changes profession.
ReplyDeleteYou condone harassment? You're part of the problem.
Delete1:48 baks namissed lang ni 1:23 ang word na ‘not’ ... minsan ganyan din ako magtype may mga words akong di naitype although nasa isip ko sya
DeleteKorek 2:27. Pasensiya 1:48 nagmamadali wala yung "Don't" . Minsan kasi context clues lang din. medyo obvious naman siguro yung train of thought ko noh hahaha
DeleteDear that’s precisely why you don’t resign. You have to show everyone that you can stand up for yourself and that this behaviour is not acceptable. It shouldn’t be awkward just for Gretchen but for her perpetrators also. They should realise that what they have done is harassment and not acceptable anymore!
DeleteYes junked but not the one she filed against the bosses
ReplyDeletekahit naman mawalan ng trabaho si Gretchen puwede siyang manirahan na sa Canada dahil nandoon na ang kaniyang family. Siya na lang ang nandito sa pilipinas dahil nag eenjoy siya sa kaniyang trabaho.
ReplyDeletepati pala sa babae may harassment din 🤔. she knows she can't win but applaud her for doing it. at least nalaman na bullies ung dalawa 👍
ReplyDeleteSo bawal na mag sabi ng opinion.. im with drilon ang overly sensitive ni fullido... you were asked in an investigation and she said her opinion.. pano naging libelous yon? Ayan dismissed tuloy kaso. Mali ginawa ng exec producer but marie lozano and cez drillon didnt deserve to be sued. Talent ang labananan. If i say walang talent.. my opinion ba should be held in contempt
ReplyDelete