The legal counsels of estranged showbiz couple Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz faced off in an interview on “ Unang Hirit” Wednesday. Atty. Joel Ferrer, lawyer of Mon­tano, refuted Cruz’s rape allega­tion, which is said to have hap­pened last May 12, Mother’s Day. “Ayaw ho sana namin mag­salita dito sa media dahil may gag order, pero komo’t nandito naman ho si Atty. Alentajan, kam­ing dalawa ngayon…” he said to which “Unang Hirit” host Arnold Clavio quickly added, “kaya hu­wag pigilan.”

“Kagustuhan ho nilang dalawa ho iyon,” Ferrer said on the rape allegation, claiming that Cruz al­lowed Montano to stay overnight inside her room. “Nag-text si Shine kay Cesar, inimbita para mag-dinner sila kasama ang mga bata. “After dinner, komot nag-enjoy naman sila, walang away, sa bahay ni Shine natulog si Cesar at kinabukasan na ho umuwi si Cesar.” Ferrer also claimed that the two even exchanged “sweet” text messages after that.

On Sunshine’s complaint that she was denied “rightful cus­tody and access” to her three daughters, Ferrer disclosed that he talked to Montano and two of his daughters about it imme­diately after Cruz filed criminal charges before the Quezon City Prosecutors’ Office.

According to Ferrer, it’s the children’s choice to stay in Mon­tano’s abode. “Nainterview ko ‘yung panga­nay, tinanong ko ho siya, ‘Sa’n mo ba gusto?’ Ang sinasabi niya, gusto niya kay Cesar, ganon din ho ‘yung bunso. Mangyari, ‘yung tinitirhan nila Cesar ngayon, mas maluwag para sa mga bata, mas nakakapaglaro sila ng husto. “Gusto niya kay Cesar na manatalili dahil ‘pag na kay Sun­shine siya, gawa nung kaso na hinaharap nila, baka hindi na raw nila makita si Cesar,” Ferrer said.

The lawyer added that Cruz filed similar complaints earlier in connection to her petition of tem­porary protection order (TPO), which was denied by the court. Cruz’s legal counsel, Atty. Bonifacio Alentajan, on the other hand, said that the actress raised her issues to her husband in the past months but Montano al­legedly reneged on their agree­ments.

“She was trying to settle this case together with Atty. Ferrer bago (pa nagsampa ng kaso). May usapan na ‘yan sila (na) ipag­patuloy ‘yung sustento, etcetera. Nagbigay na nga naman ng sus­tento noon si Cesar pero tatlong buwan lang, eh,” Alentajan said. The lawyer divulged that the children have been appealing to their mom to “fetch” them.

“‘Mommy fetch us, we want to go home to you already. Mommy may sakit ‘yung youngest,’” he said of the children’s text mes­sages. Alentajan, who also happened to be the couple’s godfather, shared that he always advises the two to fix their spat but “wala, eh, sige pa rin si Cesar sa kanyang mga gawain.” (M. Delizo, mb)