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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Gerald Stevens, the son of former actress Amalia Fuentes, on Monday asked the court for more time to reply to the petition for injunction filed by Angelica Aznar-Sierra seeking to stop him from posting “defamatory messages” against her over the Internet.
Stevens, through his legal counsel Emeliano Bantog, said he needed 30 days more to verify the Internet-based documentary evidence presented by Sierra in her complaint.
Bantog said his client was surprised by Sierra’s allegations in her petition for injunction filed in court on February 13.
Bantog, who is based in Makati City, also said his Quezon City-based client informed him late of the developments of the case, which was handled in Cebu City.
He said he needed time to coordinate with another lawyer of Stevens.
On February 15, Regional Trial Court Judge Douglas Marigomen of Branch 5 ordered Stevens to file his answer within 15 days or until March 1.
But “due to the unexpected volume and pressure of equally urgent professional commitments, consisting of filing of pleadings in other case conferences, and almost daily court appearances, undersigned counsel will not be able to file the said answer on 1 March 2008,” Bantog said.
In his motion for additional time to file answer, Bantog specified April 1 as his requested new deadline.
Meanwhile, Stevens has received the 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by Judge Marigomen on February 27 ordering him to stop posting “defamatory messages” over the Internet.
Manuel Nollora, Clerk of Court of Branch 5, said he delivered the TRO to Stevens’ residence in Rolling Hills Subdivision, New Manila, Quezon City, on March 4.
Nollora said that when he tried to serve the TRO, he was informed by Stevens’ house helpers that he was not around.
After 30 minutes, an unidentified woman from the Stevens residence directed one of the house helpers to receive the TRO.
