MISS UNIVERSE 2018 Catriona Gray is seeking public apology and P10 million pesos in damages from a tabloid which published her “nude photos” saying it has besmirched her reputation and made her suffer sleepless nights.
This comes after almost two weeks since the tabloid printed her “nude photos” and also in social media.
Catriona’s camp vehemently denied that the beauty queen has no such photos and even said they are all “fake” and what the tabloid printed were all “digitally altered.”
In a report by PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), they received a copy of the demand letter sent to the tabloid from Catriona’s legal counsel Atty Josabeth “Joji” Alonzo dated July 30, 2020 of the cyber libel complaint and libel from Catriona’s camp.
The subject of the letter (emphasis supplied): “Libelous Online Post and Tabloid Article With Attached Explicit Photo.”
The demand letter named Bulgar Facebook page administrator with a name John Doe, Bulgar editor Janice Navida, and writer Melba Llanera.
The demand letter detailed the post on Bulgar’s official Facebook page like an eye-catching teaser of a news article that is coming out in the tabloid.
The caption post: (emphasis supplied):“After ng bantang pasabog ni Clint… NUDE PHOTOS NI CATRIONA, KALAT NA! OMG!!! Basahin ang detalye sa INSIDER ni Melba Llanera bukas, Linggo. Bili na ng Bulgar para lagi kang updated!!”
Along with this is a photo collage of two photos of Catriona in a bathtub and a blurred topless photo of the beauty queen.
Another news article came out the following day July 19, 2020 which contains a headline (emphasis supplied): “After ng bantang pasabog ni Clint… Nude photos ni CATRIONA, kalat na!”
A part of the demand letter stated:
“It appears that Bulgar, being aware of the trending issue of Clint Bondad’s Instagram posts and thereafter having obtained a copy of an explicit altered photo from an unidentified source, purposely uploaded the subject photo in its online platform and subsequently published it in its tabloid, without verifying its sources.
“The caption further made a baseless and malicious claim, that the subject photo is indeed our client — despite evident uncertainty as to its legitimacy.”
Atty. Alonso made it clear that the two bathtub photo shoots were taken for a clothing brand Catriona was doing, the ones Bulgar’s Facebook page posted on July 18.
The third blurred photo —implying a topless woman which they claimed was Catriona—was a “deceptive scheme” to make the public believe the scandal made by the beauty queen.
The demand letter also mentioned that there were “736 likes, 360 comments and 198 shares” on Bulgar’s official Facebook page ng Bulgar, which featured the speculations of Catriona’s topless photos.
Catriona’s legal counsel insisted that uploading, spreading and sharing of “malicious photos” on Facebook about the beauty queen is considered a “cyber libel.”
“Clearly, the upload of subject photo with the libelous caption has gravely besmirched and caused discredit to our client in the minds of the general public, taking into account biases and moral prejudices, the consequences of which produced irreparable harm and injury to our client.”
On July 21, Catriona and her camp personally went to the headquarters of the National Bureau of Investigation with assisting counsel Atty. Christopher Liquigan of Alonso & Associates Law Offices, who also insisted that Catriona’s “topless photo” that spread on social media was “fake and digitally altered. “
NBI vowed they will investigate the complaints of the Miss Universe titlist.
“Kahit sinong tamaan niyan, itsa-charge namin,” NBI Deputy Director Jun de Guzman stated.
According to Catriona’s lawyer, the malicious, defamatory and libelous content of the tabloid article and Facebook post brought embarrassment and “immeasurable damage” to the beauty queen who brought pride to the country when she won Miss Universe 2018, an international beauty pageant participated in by 94 countries.
