BEA BINENE

To clear his name from insinuations and issues that have maligned him and besmirched his reputation, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio recently called a press conference. He claimed that young Kapuso star Bea Binene and her mom Carina, owe him an apology and for this, he is giving them until tomorrow, Oct. 12, to apologize, or he will haul them to court.

“This is all I ask, a public apology, or even a private one, if they so desire, and this will put an end to the controversy,” Atty. Topacio told us. “After all, we are friends, may pinagsamahan naman kami.” He wanted to clear his name for the sake of his family (his wife is an RTC judge with whom he has two sons, the older one of Bea’s age). Among the high profile clients of his are two former presidents (Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo), congressmen, governors (including L-Ray Villafuerte of CamSur), Lauro Vizconde, and even Raffy Tulfo and showbiz celebs like Yasmien Kurdi and BM Angelica Jones.

However, immediately after the presscon, the Binene camp said they would never make a public apology. It should be Atty. Topacio who should apologize to us, they said. Bea even reportedly said that she was not at all affected by Topacio’s threat.

Through a powerpoint presentation, Atty. Topacio refuted all the allegations or issues against him, No. 1 of which was the Binenes’ claim that there never was a lawyer-client relationship between them. Topacio’s proofs included letters from GMA executives referring to Bea Binene as his “client.” Topacio said he first wrote a letter to GMA in April to inform them of Carina’s decision to manage her daughter’s career. He also wrote Atty. Annette G. Abrogar when the Binenes decided to move to an outside recording company, Galaxy Records.

It was Carina who sought Topacio’s services as legal counsel, especially on how to eject Dan Christian Villanueva a.k.a. Papa Dan who had been staying in their “guest house” for seven months instead of just one night as then requested by Papa Dan.

Papa Dan, also a talent of GMA-7, used to host the network’s mall shows where Bea often appeared as performer. Topacio and the Binenes agreed that they file a complaint of child abuse against Papa Dan who was also allegedly been “stalking” Bea.

Lawyer Topacio, together with the Binenes, filed the complaint at the office of the Criminal and Investigation Detection Group (CIDG). Topacio said he accompanied the Binenes thrice, the third one in the midst of “Habagat.”

But now the Binenes said they never authorized the filing of the case, especially so that the Binenes and Papa Dan have already settled their differences.

Simon Ferrer, GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President, reportedly said filing a case against Papa Dan was not necessary. Another GMA officer, Flordeliza Vargas, also stressed that there was no lawyer-client relationship between Topacio and Bea.

As an annex to the mysterious story about the seven-month stay of Papa Dan in the Binenes’ compound, Topacio said that there was no “separate guest house” of the Binenes. As such, Papa Dan must have been sleeping in a room within the house.

Topacio also wants to clear the issue that the Binenes never receive monetary help from him. He said they received money from him and his friends for the sponsorship of Bea’s album. Topacio revealed that he helped put up a foundation for Bea, the very reason why he has been sending gifts to her for the beneficiaries of the foundation.

“I care for Bea,” lawyer Topacio stressed. “I wish her well!”

Incidentally, we found Atty. Topacio well-versed in showbiz happenings. He saw the youth-oriented movie “Tween Academy” long before he met Bea in person at the GMA-7 premises. He watches teleseryes and movies, the latest of which is “The Mistress,” which he saw twice, he said.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Oct. 11, go to Kuya Daniel Razon, twins Richard and Ricardo Cepeda, Dr. Miles dela Rosa, Ed Santillan, Terry Lim, Baby Aguilar, Dianne Eugenio, Jan Carlo Tobias, Johnson Robert, Pat Cabiling, Pilar Gozum, MB’s Myra Liezl Abando and Ronald Jeffrey Lim, Jason Francisco, Erlinda Romey and Bobbit Vidanes… Happy wedding anniversary to Amb. & Mrs. Roy Seneres; and Oscar and Bootsie Violago…