Ex-Sexbomb dancer asks SC to stop harassment cases filed by estranged husband

A former member of an all-female dance group asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday to stop what she called as harassment cases filed by her estranged husband. 

Sugar Mercado, a former Sexbomb dancer, filed a petition seeking the court's intervention in the cases brought by her husband, Kristoffer Jay Go, which stemmed from a custody battle over their two children. 

Assisted by the Gabriela Women's Party, Mercado said the cases, which include child abuse, libel and slight physical injury, are forms of SLAPP or strategic lawsuit against public participation meant to daunt victims of abuse from seeking justice, especially those who have no access to the courts.

"Declaring vexatious and harassment cases as SLAPPs and prohibiting the exercise of the same is well within the power of the Honorable Court to promulgate rules concerning the protection and enforcement of constitutional rights," the petition stated.

"In fact, the Honorable Court has already promulgated the Rules on Violence Against Women and Children or A.M. No. 04-10-11-SC. However the current situation that afflicts abuse victims necessitate the promulgation or amendment of the said rules to include the necessary protection and to prevent abusers from using and abusing judicial processes to inflict additional violence," it added.

The petition noted the SC already provided remedies against harassment suits against environmental advocates. 

It asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction to prevent the respondents from conducting further hearings and proceedings in the cases.   

Mercado was joined in the petition by her parents, Reynaldo and Yolanda Mercado. 

Assisted by Gabriela partylist, ex-Sexbomb dancer Sugar Mercado has asked SC to stop harassment cases filed by estranged husband. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/06FIwCkWY3

— Virgil Lopez (@virgillopez) March 17, 2017

According to Gabriela, the filing of harassment cases against Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) victims "debases the very essence" of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act. 

"Imagine the ordeal that every VAWC victim currently suffers as abusers abuse the legal system to harass and silence them. With Sugar's case, we hope that SC will consider SLAPP as a form of VAWC itself," said Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus in a statement. 

"We ask the SC to draw the line on this case to grant protection to harassed and abused women and to stop the abuse in the form of filing of SLAPP cases against VAWC victims," she added. 

Named respondents to the petition were Mercado's husband, Kenneth Roue Go, Casey Lim Jimenez, Christina Palileo, Ruel Balino, the four Quezon City courts handling the cases, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, and Quezon City Chief Prosecutor Donald Lee. —KG, GMA News