Lawyers of Manalo couple agree on status quo

Lawyers of the producer of GMA 7’s noontime show “Eat Bulaga” and of the wife of TV host Jose Manalo have agreed to maintain a status quo since she has reportedly stopped getting in touch with her husband since January.

Juno Cabanes, counsel of Television and Production Exponents Inc. (Tape), and Lowell John Fetizana, lawyer of defendant Anna Lyn Manalo, made the agreement during a hearing at the sala of Judge Luis Cenon Maceren of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 218.

To shorten the proceedings, Cabanes said they were amenable to maintain a status quo provided that Manalo refrains from approaching her husband.

‘No basis’

Fetizana first asked the court to deny a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO), claiming that TAPE’s allegations had no basis since his client did not make “any act of disturbance” against her husband, a host of “Eat Bulaga.”

“Since January, the defendant has refrained from proceeding to the workplace of the plaintiff. There’s no need for a TRO, there is no urgency. It will be absurd for our client to be accused of doing such acts since she did not do anything. There is no issue here, no need for a TRO,” Fetizana said in court.

But Cabanes said it should not be an order denying the TRO, as it will only be a status quo since there’s nothing that prevents Anna Lyn from approaching her husband.

The lawyer added that since Fetizana has vouched for his client, it is better to maintain the status quo to shorten the proceedings.

The court will proceed to hear the prayer for the issuance of an injunction and the damages sought by TAPE.

Anna Lyn, however, was told to submit in 15 days her answer to the complaint filed against her before the court sets the hearing on the injunction.

TAPE, which produces “Eat Bulaga,” earlier filed a 22-page petition for injunction and damages against Jose’s wife for allegedly harassing him at work since November 2011.