MANILA, Philippines - Naniniwala ang pinakabagong abogado ng negosyanteng Cedric Lee na walang pangingikil na naganap sa pagitan ng kanyang kliyente at TV host Vhong Navarro.
Sinabi ng batikang abogado Raymond Fortun na "areglo" lamang ang ginawa ng kanyang kliyente, taliwas sa pangingikil na sinasabi ni Navarro nang hingian siya umano ni Lee ng P2 milyon.
"Is it lawful to ask for damages out-of-court, like what CL did to Mr. Navarro? Most certainly! Kaya nga po tinatawag na 'aregluhan' eh kasi people want to avoid the rigours and expense of litigation," pahayag ni Fortun sa kanyang Facebook account.
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"I firmly believed even before I was hired that there was no extortion that occurred," dagdag niya.
Sinabi ng TV host na hiningian siya ng pera ni Lee kapalit nang pananahimik ng umano'y ginahasang modelo Deniece Cornejo noong Enero 22 sa Forbeswood Heights Condominium sa Taguig City.
"If the beating up was for the purpose of subduing the felon preparatory to surrendering him to the police, then the acts are justified in consonance with the elements of defense of stranger," wika ng abogado.
Naniniwala si Fortun na walang mali sa ginawa ng kanyang kliyente na umano'y pinagtanggol lamang ang biktimang si si Cornejo.
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"Because of what this powerful media network and the NBI have done way beyond their respective duties to the public, Cedric Lee is, in my eyes, an underdog. Justice must be served," sabi niya.
Aniya, kailangang niyang ipaglaban ang katotohanan na binaligtad ng kapangyarihan ng media.
"That The Buzz episode made me realize how a powerful media entity can use its unlimited resources in order to sway public opinion to demonize a person. This, as a lawyer dedicated to bring out the truth, I cannot accept," sabi ni Fortun tungkol sa panayam ni Lee sa "Buzz ng Bayan" ng ABS-CBN