Entertainment

Accused news execs release counter reaction on messages bared by Gretchen Fullido

Cheryl Favila, former supervising producer of TV Patrol, and Maricar Asprec, segment producer for the same show, has filed their Answer Affidavit and Counter-Complaint for the sexual harassment case filed by ABS-CBN entertainment anchor Gretchen Fullido.

Earlier, Fullido released the alleged text messages she received from former Favila which led her to file a lawsuit against the latter.

The entertainment host filed a sexual harassment case against Favila and Asprec when she “alleged that [the two] sent her text messages that were loaded with sexual innuendos, which amounted to requests for sexual favors.”

However, Favila and Asprec’s legal counsel, Atty. Evalyn Ursua has denied the allegations saying it was “baseless” and a “classic example of discrimination against LGBTQ individuals and gender stereotyping against them in matters of sexuality”.

Ursua added that the text messages that Fullido was referring to were “distorted and maliciously taken out of their conversation threads”.

Part of the defense Favila and Asprec filed stated: “Only Fullido gave those words sexual meaning.

“She did this by selecting the messages to cite in her incident report or complaint that would serve her malicious complaint, without showing the entire conversation thread where those messages belonged, thereby enabling her to distort, with evident malice, the context and meaning of those messages and to attribute to those messages sexual meaning.”

Fullido also said that Favila and Asprec are in an “open relationship” and would often spend Thursdays to spend time with a third party. It said that Favila considered Fullido to be her “Thursday Girl”, which the host rejected.

But Favila and Asprec strongly denied the sexual connotation behind “Thursday Girl”, and said that it was just a simple tag to a girl who would have dinner and drinks with them every Thursdays.

They said that it is simply an “innocent practice of going out”.

The two even said that they would upload photos of their “Thursday Girls” on Instagram, some of whom are ABS-CBN newsroom colleagues Ces Drilon, Pinky Webb, and Doris Bigornia. Favila also said that Fullido fabricated the text message she released to the public by taking it out of context.

She then released some messages from the conversation thread between her and Fullido.

Examples of Cheryl’s full thread of text exchanges with Gretchen. It showed the supervising producer’s frustration with the entertainment news anchor for not maintaining “a wholesome image” in public—which, Cheryl and Maricar said, was part of Gretchen’s “deliverables” when she got her own lifestyle segment, “Tara Grets!”

April 26, 2015

Cheryl: Gretchen, from the very start, we have agreed that you will avoid two things to jump off the turn around of your image – first, no very revealing clothes; second, no sexy compromising poses, in and out of abs-cbn. This was when we were just planning your segment last year, which was way, way before the Brand Essence was made. Countless times, you did not honor this agreement. We both fell into the cycle of: 1. You defying what we have agreed on; 2. I get angry at you; 3. We will talk and make-up; 4. You doing it again. I have tried stretching my patience. But my heart is now tired and battered. Enough.

Cheryl: Promises fulfilled – I have opened the doors to your dreams by creating your own segment on TV Patrol, despite doubts and criticisms from various camps; I got you a talent fee which is double of currently what you are getting (not really bad). I have set-up the stage for you. Now, it’s time for me to continue the journey to my destiny. Maktub. Good luck to yours. It’s nice to have crossed your path this lifetime, Gretchen.

May 5, 2015

Gretchen: Ok, I understand. I hope and pray that one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me and talk to me. It feels weird not being able to talk to you as a friend and ask for your guidance when it comes to #TaraGrets but I will not push it. Sana huwag ka naman super deadma masyado kung pwede lang naman. Take care.

Cheryl: I told you I can be the most passionate and intense person you will ever meet this lifetime. BUT I can swing to the extreme of being cold-hearted. I told you not to bring me there. I warned you: don’t push me to stop caring because I can. Maricar is the one who’s been pushing me persistently asking me to give you one last chance. For her, I will. BUT you have to give me one GOOD reason why I should. It’s not about having diiner again, or crying again, or asking for forgiveness again. It is about giving complete trust to each other, keeping your word, and most of all, it is about COMMITMENT, just like in any other relationship. Come back to me when you can already commit – to me, and to your dreams. Otherwise, we will just be washing our time. Otherwise, just pretend you did not meet me this lifetime.”

May 8, 2015

Gretchen: What do you want? Coffee, dessert? May utang talaga ako sayo… This weekend. Still composing it.

Cheryl: Nothing really, but an answer if you will still take the journey together. I am waiting for the ‘commitment’ answer. I don’t think I can be with you in the same room without a clear idea on how to proceed with everything.

Gretchen: Going back to your earlier message. I’m ready to commit because I know it’s what’s best for me, my image, my career, my future, and my life. Moving forward, I always ask that from today onwards… whatever photos/issues from the past will not be a cause of argument because that’s already there. It also hurts to be crucified by malicious intent and be helpless about it. But now I’m more confident that I can make better decisions and avoid putting myself in compromising situations.

October 16, 2015

Cheryl: Remember this always: a Commitment is a Commitment. If you commit on something, even if later on you’ve realized you’ve made the wrong decision, fulfill that commitment anyway. Just learn the lessons from it to avoid being compromised next time. Keeping one’s commitment will make a person gain one of the most values in life-INTEGRITY.

Gretchen: Thank you, Chair. It’s just sad that I can’t fulfill both that everybody’s happy. I don’t like the feeling that I let someone or people down because of my decision. But I guess sometimes it’s inevitable. But yes, a commitment is a commitment, and I can’t bear the thought of breaking my word. It’s just not right.

Photo credits: @gretsfullido on Instagram, PEP.ph

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