BOCAUE, Bulacan—Amidst another sexual assault offense brought up against multi awarded actor Baron Geisler, this time by senior actress Cherrie Pie Picache, he pleaded not guilty during his arraignment of two counts of act of lasciviousness and one count of unjust vexation filed against him by actress Yasmien Kurdi at the municipal trial court of this town Wednesday.
Geisler, standing with his lawyer, Carlo Bonifacio Alentajan pleaded not guilty when the said three charges were read to him by Bocaue MTC personnel at about past 2pm inside the sala of Judge Lauro Bernardo.
Geisler interviewed even before the arraignment denied said the cases filed against hum by Kurdi and what Picache has just brought up were two different issues. He also denied he sexually assaulted Picache and said he was just acting on the character he was portraying.
“Yung character ko doon ay isang unggoy na mahilig magwala at hinostage namin ang mga tao. Siyempre ano ba ang kilos ng nagwawala at nang-ho-hostage,” he said.
The cases stemmed during the shoot of “Suspetsya,” a drama series on GMA-7 inside the Bocaue church and at its compound last May 21, 2009 when Geisler allegedly sexually assaulted Kurdi by kissing her on the lips and squeezed her private part, telling her malicious things and texting her sexual enticement even after the incident.
But, Kurdi who cried right after Geisler pleaded not guilty and could not yet go out of the court to face reporters and TV camera men and during interview said she found the defense of Geisler’s lawyer as weird claiming there was no element of act of lasciviousness in the complaint.
Alentajan who filed early on that day a motion for certiorari to dismiss the case filed by Kurdi against his client at the Bulacan regional trial court in Malolos City told the court the arraignment should not push through pending result of the said cases filed against the actor on the basis that there was no force, intimidation and violence as elements of act of lasciviousness that was committed by the actor against Kurdi.
“Ang weird lang kasi, hinihingi ba ng permiso kapag babastusin ka. Ang dami pang nakalagay sa complaints ko na hindi binasa, katunayan sinapak ko siya pagkatapos niya akong bastusin. Pagkatapos more than a week after nun nagtext pa siya sa akin asking me if I wanted to have sex with him. Nagulat ako, rape lang pala ang may elements ng force, intimidation and violence, ang ginawa pala sa aking pambabastos walang element ng ganoon” she told reporters during interview.
Ferdinand Topacio, Kurdi’s lawyer however welcomed the pushed through arraignment despite and earlier motion by Geisler’s lawyer to postpone it pending result of the motion for certiorari they filed said the arraignment is one way step for success in the cases they filed against the actor.
Kurdi said she could not control her self to cry because the case has been filed months ago and it was only this time that Geisler was arraigned.
She said she has not talked to Picache yet but she is also surprise that she has become another victim just like her. “Mas ibang usapan yun kasi kahit pala mas matanda sa kanya wala siyang respeto at nagawa niya yun kay Ms. Cherrie Pie. Nagulat din ako, kahit best friend ko ginawan din ni Bairon ng ganyan at marami pa pala kami,” she added.
Topacio and Alentajan had almost blew it up during the arraignment when they argued about Alentajan saying there was no element of act of lasciviousness committed by his client against the complainant and should be the basis of postponing the arraignment. “The recital of facts does not constitute elements of act of lasciviousness”.
Topacio burst and accused him of assailing the personal character of his client. In retaliation, Topacio also brought up Picache’s recent sexual offense being hurled against Byron as allegedly a clear proof of the character of the actor.
But Judge Bernardo saying the court may just have to comply with the decision of the regional trial court on the motion for certiorari once it is release days from now and need to proceed with the arraignment.
Geisler who was also in teary eyes and become emotional told reporters after his arraignment that he was caught mum on the incidents happening and the cases being up against him.
“Wala akong masabi, nagugulat na lang ako sa mga nangyayari. Ni minsan kahit saang set, lahat ng katrabaho ko iginagalang ko dahil kagalang galang naman silang lahat at wala akong binabastos,” he said.
“Parati na lang ako hinahanapan ng mali, ayaw nila akong bigyan ng pagkakataong magbago. Mahal ko ang karera ko at ang sarili ko at mga taong katrabaho ko,” he added.
According to Geisler because of the series of the claims against him, he has now come to a point to decide something for himself that he will do to. “Pagod na ako sa mga ganitong issue. It came to a point na nasasaktan na ako kaya may gagawin ako sa sarili ko para matigil na ang lahat ng ito,” he said.
However, he declined to pinpoint if that will be for him undergoing rehabilitation or a legal action against those who filed sexual cases against him.
Alentajan belied claims Geisler needs to be rehabilitated. “Linawin natin, to undergo rehab for what, e mukhang normal naman itong si Bairon,” he told reporters.
Alentajan said he filed motion for certiorari after the Bocaue MTC earlier denied the motion to quash they filed against the cases filed against his client.