Atty. Joji sa viral MaThon FB post: It was a personal legal opinion
HINDI akalain ng Quantum Films producer at Star Magic legal counsel na si Atty. Joji Alonso na magba-viral at puputaktihin ng bashing ang recent Facebook post niya tungkol sa kinasasangkutang iskandalo ng Star Magic loveteam na sina Maris Racal at Anthony Jennings kaugnay ng screenshots na isinapubliko ng ex-GF ng huli na si Jamela Villanueva about cheating.
Sa mediacon ngayong Lunes ng Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry niyang “Espantaho,” nilinaw ni Atty. Joji na personal legal opinion ang ipinost niya sa FB.
Wala umano itong kinalaman sa pagiging Star Magic in-house legal counsel niya at hindi rin daw siya ang abogado ni Maris man o ni Anthony.
Matatandaan na sa FB ay sinabi ni Atty. Joji na: “Assuming that all the screenshots are legit, the fact remains that Maris and Anthony have committed NO crime. Their actions may be regarded as morally wrong, but they were never married to their respective partners.
“Jamela, on the other hand, may have committed at least 2 crimes with her actions – cyber libel and violation of data privacy. She cannot hide her actions under the guise of “moving on.” Yes, she may have experienced pain and betrayal, but this does NOT give her the license to violate the law.
Nemo jus sibi dicere potest.”
Ayon sa Google, ang linyang “Nemo jus sibi dicere potest” ay isang Latin phrase na nangangahulugang, “No one can declare the law for themselves.”
Paliwanag ni Atty. Joji, “I’m not acting as a lawyer, ha, or their lawyer. It was just a personal legal opinion. Kasi ang dami na kasing talkies. It was my own. I just need to clarify, I don’t condone cheating. i have been a victim of cheating so I know what it’s like to be cheated upon.
Masakit ’yon! But the law is the law, ‘yun lang naman ‘yung point ko du’n, eh.
“Some things which are morally wrong are not necessarily legally wrong. Now, the issue, meron pang mga legalities ‘yan pero ‘wag na lang nating i-discuss kasi I will go now into VAWC (Violence Against Women and their Children), into psychological…,” pakiusap niya.
Pero inamin niya na totoong may lumapit sa kanya para humingi ng legal opinion.
“May nag-approach. I cannot divulge also what happened along the way. There were talks, I admit that. But I cannot give any details. My opinion was asked and I gave. ‘Yon,” saad ng lawyer/film producer.
Nang tanungin kung dahil dito ba ay na-inspire siyang mag-produce ng isang legal drama, ang sagot ni Atty. Joji, ’yon nga sana ang original plan niya for MMFF 2024.
Kaso, hindi ito natuloy at itong “Espantaho” nga ang ginawa nila’t sinuwerteng makapasok bilang isa sa 10 MMFF entries.
Aniya, siya mismo ang nag-alok sa co-producer niyang si Pandi, Bulacan Mayor Rico Roque ng Cineko Production para maging bahagi ng produksyon.
Si Atty. Joji rin ang kumumbinsi sa lead star niyang si Judy Ann Santos na sumosyo sa “Espantaho” gamit ang pag-aari nitong Purple Bunny Productions.
“I offered to her (Juday), actually, kasi she’s produced before and I just thought that since ang laki naman ng contribution niya sa pelikula, baka lang sakali magka-interes din siya,” kwento ng abogada.
Hindi raw niya ito magagawa mag-isa lalo pa nga’t napakalaki ng inabot ng production cost nito.
Ang original budget nilang P50M para sa 18-day shoot, lumobo dahil inabot ito ng 22 days. Visual effects pa lang ng nasabing horror-drama na dinirek ni Chito Rono, nagkakahalaga na ng P10M.
Hindi rin daw biro ang bilang ng locations na ginamit nila sa pelikula dahil nag-shoot sila sa Pampanga, Batangas, San Mateo, Antipolo, atbp.
“Ang mahal na mag-produce ngayon,” daing pa ni Atty. Joji.
Buti na nga lang at “PG” ang nakuhang classification ng “Espantaho” mula sa Movie Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) kaya may tsansa itong mapanood ng mas malawak na audience.
Anyway, bukod kay Juday, nasa cast din ng pelikula sina Lorna Tolentino, Chanda Romero, Janice de Belen, Mon Confiado, JC Santos, Nico Antonio, Donna Cariaga, Kian Co, Tommy Abuel, Archie Adamos at Eugene Domingo.
Mapapanood na ang “Espantaho” sa mga sinehan simula December 25.
