Janno Gibbs together with his father, Ronaldo Valdez
Janno Gibbs via Instagram
MANILA, Philippines — The family of the late actor Ronaldo Valdez has demanded the Philippine National Police (PNP) a public apology for mishandling the veteran actor's case.
In a press conference yesterday, lawyer Lorna Kapunan, with Ronaldo's son Janno Gibbs, read the statement of the family.
“The sudden death of my father Ronaldo Valdez on 17 December 2023 shocked, not just my family, but the entire showbiz industry.
“Before my family could process our grief, we faced even more pain due to the oblivious handling of the investigation by the Philippine National Police, leading to the unauthorized release of the video online detailing the investigation and the subsequent thoughtless social media posts – some sharing my private information and others circulating fake news, even outrageously suggesting that I had a part in my father’s death.
“Such negligent handling of the investigation, and the consequent media attacks against my family caused us immense emotional distress,” Kapunan read.
The statement added that the family strongly denounce, in the strongest terms possible, the evident mismanagement of the investigation and mishandling of sensitive data showing apparent lapses and breaches of confidentiality on the part of the investigation team.
“Such reckless actions of certain individuals in leaking sensitive information are deeply alarming – not just for my family, but for society as a whole,” Janno said.
“We therefore demand that the PNP and the officers directly accountable for the lapses in the investigation make a public apology for the breach of trust and the trauma caused to my family.
“To enable us to mourn and deal with the pain privately, we have decided not to pursue further legal actions against the responsible police officers.
“Nonetheless, we were informed that an ongoing investigation is underway against the erring police officers, and we remain optimistic that the PNP and the appropriate government agencies will take the necessary action against those responsible.
“We trust that the agencies and individuals overseeing the said investigation will be transparent and honest in their reports,” Janno added.
At the end of the statement, Janno said that public should be wary in sharing sensitive videos online.
“Finally, we encourage the public to exercise vigilance when sharing videos and posts online.
“We hope that this will also serve as a reminder to the netizens, who have duties to act responsibly online, especially so when the posts and videos affect individuals who are still in the midst of grieving.
“With this, we fervently wish that our appeal to the PNP will not fall on deaf ears, allowing us to swiftly bring an end to this regretful chapter of our lives.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to the people who, instead of immediately judging the situation, sympathized with our family for the loss of my father. Thank you,” Janno ended the family's statement.