Boots Anson-Roa sues fellow tenant on slap-insult case

BOOTS Anson-Roa in a photo taken during her May 20 bridal shower. JILSON SECKLER TIU

“My sensibilities as a woman and my national pride as a Filipino were offended,” actress-host Boots Anson-Roa said of the “unfortunate incident” that prompted her to lodge a complaint Friday against a fellow condominium tenant, an Australian-Canadian national, for allegedly assaulting her.

It all stemmed from a May 22 encounter at the condo lobby, when Roa took a slew of insults and a slap on the arm from Ross Hemingway who saw her reading a newspaper that was supposedly meant for “other residents.”

“I’m okay physically. I’m a bit unnerved and upset at being assailed verbally with expletives and physically with a folded newspaper … and by a foreigner at that,” the 69-year-old actress said in a text message to the Inquirer.

Hemingway is Roa’s fellow tenant at Andrea North Towers in New Manila, Quezon City. The actress said she had been informed that, shortly after the incident, Hemingway left for Australia because his mother had died.

Assisted by the law firm of her fiance, King Rodrigo, Roa filed a complaint in the justice committee of Barangay Kaunlaran, also in QC. The committee doesn’t function as a court but more as a conflict-resolving body. A copy of the complaint was also sent to the condo’s administration office.

Roa said the incident was later discussed in dialogues with Andrea North management and that she had gathered “corroborative statements from other parties in the condo whom Hemingway has had brushes with in the past, including other residents, staff members and management personnel.”

According to a report prepared by Richard Ramon, detachment commander of Leopard Integrated Security Services Inc., the condo’s in-house security, Roa was reading a newspaper beside the lobby reception desk when Hemingway arrived.

The man approached Roa and asked her why she was reading “other residents’” newspaper. Thinking that Hemingway was talking to somebody else, Roa did not pay attention at first.

An angered Hemingway, now wielding a rolled-up newspaper that he got from Ramon, “slapped her left arm” and began cursing her out, telling her to buy her own paper. The man then left to go to his unit.

According to Ramon, Hemingway earlier figured in a similar incident with another female resident.