Amalia's son sued

MAY THIS SERVE AS A WARNING TO ALL OF YOU!

A member of the Aznar family has sued the son of actress Amalia Fuentes for libel for posting “defamatory messages” against her in the Internet.

Angelica Aznar-Sierra filed the complaint for libel and seven counts of unjust vexation against Gerald Stevens before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office on Feb. 13.She also filed a petition for injunction to stop Stevens from sending “malicious” and “vulgar” messages to her through email, the Internet, a blog or a Friendster account.

She asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order against Stevens, a 24-year-old son of the actress, who described Sierra in a blog as the “third party” who led to the breakup of his parents’ marriage.

Sierra, who said the allegations were “false,” demanded P1.5 million in damages and P500,000 in attorney's fees.Sierra said that since she “comes from a known family of educators in Cebu” and is “a loving and dutiful mother to her children,” the conduct of Stevens “specifically his obscene, derogatory, and offensive e-mail messages and violent actions” directed at her and her children, have “maligned her good name and reputation as well as caused her much pain, annoyance and anguish,” according to the complaint dated Feb. 8.

Both complaints were prepared by her Manila-based lawyers Denise Jordan Arenillo and Philip Sigfrid Fortun. Fortun is legal counsel of former president Joseph Estrada in his impeachment trial.tried to contract Amalia Fuentes through her mobile phone yesterday but it was out of the coverage area.

Gerald, 24, accompanied his mother to Cebu in October 2007 for the pre-trial conference of the petition for annulment filed by his father, Joey Stevens, 72, before the Regional Trial Court in Mandaue City. He didn’t speak, however, when news reporters interviewed his mother after she talked in detail about her marriage in a closed-door conference.

Joey filed for annulment against the 62-year-old movie icon in July 2007, 28 years of after they wed on August 10, 1979. He cited the ground of pscychological incapacity under the Family Code.talked with Joseph Stevens, son of Joey, but he declined to comment on the case until he consults his lawyer. In the complaint, Sierra said Gerald had accused her of having an affair with his father that led to the breakdown of the marriage of Amalia and Joey.

She said the allegation “was a clear concoction and is untrue.”She asked the court to stop Gerald from harassing and intimidating her and members of her family.

Sierra said that from August to November 2007, she received verbal and written threats of physical violence from Gerald. She said he also called her office at the Southwestern University three times looking for her.

During the same period, she said Gerald also called the office of her security agency in Cebu City, speaking in “a gruff and threatening tone” which frightened her staff.Gerald also went to her condominium unit in Pasig City where her children were staying last Nov. 12, 2007.

Sierra alleged that Gerald, who was accompanied by Amalia and two unidentified companions, threw things in the lobby of the condominium building and shouted invectives at the reception staff.“Defendant announced to all then present that (Sierra) and Mr. Stevens were having an extra-marital affair, which was a clear concoction and untrue,” she said.

In December 2007, said Sierra, she started receiving messages in her Friendster account from Gerald using the names “Geric Stevens” and “Geric.”In the Internet messages, Gerald called her several “offensive” names and accused her of having an affair with his father, said the complaint.

She said the false accusations have caused her much anxiety.

Sierra attached in her complaint a printout of several email messages sent to her Friendster account dated Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.

An email message sent on Dec. 14 challenged her to view his blog in his Friendster account entitled “My first blog ever: One Reason to Stay in School.”A blog, short for Web log, is a personal website or journal. In his blog, Gerald attached a letter purportedly written by Sierra to his father and said the only reason he was putting up the blog was because of the involvement of Sierra as the “third party” who caused his parents to split up.

According to Sierra, Gerald's blog was “designed solely to humiliate and ridicule” her as well as to malign her name and reputation.On Jan. 8, the Sierra received another message in her Friendster account where Gerald allegedly cursed her. Aside from persistent “defamatory electronic messages”, said Sierra, Gerald went again to the condominium on Jan. 11 in Pasig and accused her of having an affair with his father.Sierra, through her lawyer, sent a letter to Gerald on Jan. 16 demanding that he stop harassing her.She said her rights as a person and a “woman and a mother of good repute” have been violated.

Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20080215-119056/Amalias-son-sued