Belo hires lawyer with better looks

MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Vicky Belo has dumped her current counsel Raymond Fortun for a better-looking lawyer.

Fortun, Belo’s lawyer for the past five years, claimed he has received notice of termination of his services in favor of Adel Tamano, who will serve not only as the dermatologist’s counsel but her spokesperson as well.

Fortun said he would stay on with the Belo Medical Group only until June this year.

He admitted that Tamano is more good looking than him.

“Oh, I admit he’s more handsome than me. It’s obvious,” Fortun said in Filipino, then broke into laughter.

Tall, handsome and bedimpled, Tamano is the United Opposition (UNO) spokesperson and president of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Tamano, for his part, confirmed that he is joining the Belo Medical Group and jokingly remarked that he was hired because of his looks.

“Off the record, it is because I am good looking,” he said in a phone interview.

Tamano said he would represent Belo in a criminal complaint over an alleged botched thermage procedure on a patient.

Fortun said Belo informed him she would no longer renew his services in June.

“She informed me that she will terminate my services (when) my retainer expires in June and that I will be replaced by Adel Tamano who will also act as her spokesperson,” Fortun told The STAR in an interview.

Fortun explained that he was getting P6,000 monthly retainer from Belo, whom he described as “very generous and giving.”

He explained that it is the right of a client to terminate the services of lawyers and hire a replacement.

Fortun said his five-year relationship with Belo was very fruitful and he bore no grudges against her.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity she gave me in representing her in all her cases in court for the long period of time,” he said.

According to Fortun, the pending cases he’s handling for Belo are more administrative in nature.

He said his replacement’s staff might encounter difficulty in acquiring documents related to the pending cases and nothing more.

Belo, a celebrity herself, recently broke up with her boyfriend, Dr. Hayden Kho, who is 24 years her junior.

Fortun not booted out

According to Tamano, Fortun was not booted out of Belo’s team to make way for him.

He said Fortun is still with the legal team and would handle other cases, but Fortun has confirmed that his services with Belo would be only until June.

Last Tuesday, Belo filed her counter-affidavit with the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office and countered the allegation of US-based nurse Leila Palaganas that her face was left scarred by an alleged botched thermage procedure performed by BMGI doctor Jennifer Sison.

Thermage, a non-surgical procedure, tightens the skin to smooth out wrinkles.

Palaganas is suing Belo for damages in the amount of P20 million.

In her counter-affidavit, Belo asked for the dismissal of Palaganas’ complaint of reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries on the ground that it was “devoid of merit and fact.”

According to Belo, the complaint filed against her and Sison by Palaganas has no medical basis and is not backed by any supporting medical document that would indicate the commission of a crime.

For his part, Tamano expressed confidence that the complaint filed against his client and Sison would be dismissed.

“What we want is outright dismissal of the complaint. They are both innocent,” he said.