BILLIONAIRE Francisco Ortigas III has asked the court to issue a gag order on print, broadcast, Facebook, Twitter and other electronic media from reporting and commenting on his alleged ***ual escapades with the female help and on the concubinage complaint filed by his estranged wife, Susana Bayot.
The motion was filed Friday by new Ortigas lawyer Lorna Kapunan, who built a thriving legal career by positioning herself as a feminist activist and advocate of transparency and corporate governance like her late partner, 2004 presidential candidate Raul Roco.
"The very nature of these (marital) disputes dictate that litigation ... be proceeded with in private, as they do nothing for the general good, save, to give the hoi polloi something to talk about during sleepy afternoons," said Kapunan, who in the past two weeks had engaged in an almost daily televised slanging match against an alleged concubine of the late Rep. Ignacio Arroyo.
And contrary to the "oft-inaccurate coverage by the media," Ortigas is actually the victim in his 44-year marriage with the Madrigal heiress, Kapunan told Pasig Metropolitan Trial Court Judge Joy Nerves Casihan-Dumlao.
"Ms. Bayot became almost obsessive over her money and used the same to emasculate, humiliate and manipulate Mr. Ortigas constantly," especially after her mother died in March 1990 and she inherited her fabled Madrigal wealth, Kapunan claimed.
"Considering the clearly extensive damage done thus far to the accused by the trial by publicity initiated by his wife, and the danger of such publicity affecting the outcome of this case, the accused is constrained to humbly request this honorable court for relief...," the lawyer said.
The Ortigas camp also took the occasion to snipe at the Pasig prosecutors and the judge for the "almost supernatural speed" the February 10 resolution was issued by Assistant City Prosecutor Joselito de Asas, and approved by reviewing prosecutor Camilo Dumlao and City Prosecutor Jacinto Ang, only three days after the case had been submitted for resolution.
The judge issued the warrant of arrest four days later, on February 14.
"It can hardly be said either that the coverage by the media has not served to convolute the discernment of the deciding bodies of the case, considering the extreme expediency upon which resolutions have been issued and warrants of arrest served thus far," the Ortigas counsel said.