To those tagged by Jojo Quimpo’s “Hypocrisy Annoys Me…” cyberbullying thread and/or to those who commented or liked it

Below is a copy and paste of the message I sent to all the people that Jojo Quimpo tagged in his Facebook post “Hypocrisy annoys me, people need to look into mirrors” as well as to those people who liked the cyberbullying post and to those who commented on it.

 

Hello,

Hope all is well. I understand that you have been tagged by Francisco “Jojo” Quimpo on his public Facebook wall post which contains malicious and derogatory attacks against my wife Luisa Marshall, her line of work (as a Tribute Artist), her TV show and even an attack on one of her TV show guests. You also Liked this malicious thread.

There was a concerned friend on the thread calling Luisa out to respond to that public Facebook thread that Francisco “Jojo” Quimpo initiated but I wouldn’t allow my wife nor any of our associates and supporters to comment. For your information, I have been communicating with Jojo through email the past months regarding my personal opinion and report of the past Pinoy Fiestas. Jojo Quimpo turned our communication from a professional private matter into a very public damaging personal attack with unrelated personal issues.

I wish to defend and clear my wife Luisa Marshall’s name and good standing reputation against his and his Hirit group’s baseless and unsubstantiated attacks. Please read my response to Francisco “Jojo” Quimpo below on his last email to me.

If you have any further questions, comments or concerns I would appreciate it if you communicate with me directly, and I will be happy to provide you with information.

Regards,

Steve Marshall

_____________________________

Last email from Jojo Quimpo on January 28th, 2013.
“I have to say this for the last time, I respect my source decision for them to personally disclose the messages in due time. Where, when, what, how, who, are questions that will be answered once the messages will be disclosed. I think what’s more important question to answer now is this – Did Luisa write in any circumstances those messages with negative contents as I’ve described in my previous email? Whether you have copy or don’t have a copy of said messages, Luisa, based on her personal recollection by checking her past messages sent, can specifically confirm or deny its existence.

I will not provide further comment until I received Luisa’s specific admission or denial regarding this subject matter.”

My letter to Jojo Quimpo.
Dear Francisco “Jojo” Quimpo,

I am unclear about what subject matter you are referring to. You stated that you “personally read the long (somewhat vicious) message of Luisa sent to others undermining the event and supporters of Hirit.” What “message” are you referring to? It is unfair that you ask Luisa Marshall to admit or deny your accusation when you refuse to present evidence of what you are accusing her of doing.

My original email to you in September 29th, 2012 requested clarification on whether or not there was a “best float” or “best cultural thing” of some sort in Pinoy Fiesta 2010 and 2011. After months of not hearing from you or receiving acknowledgement that you got my email, I followed up with an email on December 29th, 2012 with my personal analysis of my experience as a paid equipment supplier (PA sound & backline) sound technician, a volunteer entertainment program organizer and volunteer performer (drummer for Luisa Marshall’s Tina Turner Tribute band) for Pinoy Fiesta 2011, and also a Media Partner (Simply the Best – The Luisa Marshall Show) for Pinoy Fiesta 2010, 2011 & 2012.

On January 3rd, 2013, in your email response to my personal analysis, it appears you believe I have no right to ask questions or make suggestions on Pinoy Fiesta – telling me instead to send my “passionate comments and suggestions” to other events – events that I have not participated, volunteered or worked for.

You and the Hirit group write about your willingness to accept constructive criticism from the community. So why is it that when I email you with my personal analysis of Pinoy Fiesta you ignore my questions, brush aside my suggestions and instead attack my wife by accusing her of “vicious” and “malicious” acts? How did my Pinoy Fiesta questions and suggestions lead into you opening an unrelated heading (within your January 3rd, 2013 email) entitled “Other matter – my personal opinion” where you go on to accuse my wife, “her group”, and myself of trying to put others down, mainly the Juatco family whom you are closely affiliated with? You went on to state “Thinking about it, it seems to me that you, Luisa and this new group’s agenda is not so much for the community but to somehow ruin Janice Lozano, Roc Juatco, Pinoy Buzz and the Juatco family”. Where is this statement coming from, and how does it relate to my personal analysis of Pinoy Fiesta?

Please, let’s move this situation forward. In regards to Pinoy Fiesta, my analysis was purely my personal opinion and suggestions that I wanted to share with you as the organizer to help better future Pinoy Fiestas. I did not expect for myself and my wife to be personally attacked and accused of unrelated and unknown accusations from you in your response.

In regards to your “Other matter – my personal opinion”, I am still awaiting and expecting answers to the following questions which were previously requested a few times prior to this email:

1. Where is the evidence of this “message of Luisa sent to others” that spreads untrue things and undermines Pinoy Fiesta and supporters of the Hirit group? If you cannot provide this evidence of a message and/or the fact that it was sent to more than one individual, then stop asking Luisa to confirm or deny your accusation and retract all references to this matter in all written correspondence.

2. Throughout your emails you keep referring to “Luisa’s group” and how they are responsible for numerous issues that you continue to address. What evidence do you have that Luisa formed a “group” that is responsible for such issues? If you cannot provide evidence that Luisa has formed a “group” or is part of a “group”, then retract all references to this matter in all written correspondence.

As a “legal professional,” you advised me “…not to include the community in this personal/private issues or cases through intrigues, insinuations and character bashing.” Yet, you forwarded your email to your Hirit group which included your “Other matter – my personal opinion” which had unsubstantiated derogatory statements aimed at my wife, Luisa Marshall, and myself. Now, Jojo Quimpo, you have initiated bullying and harassing public Facebook postings and threads on your wall that appears to target Luisa Marshall.

Your public Facebook post on February 6th, 2013 showcasing a photo of a cat with the words “Hypocrisy annoys me, people need to look into mirrors” in which you personally tagged 35 people contains a thread of over 100 comments. In this thread there are numerous accusations of wrongdoing, the mocking of impersonators, the questioning of the integrity of Luisa’s TV show and even an attack on one of her TV show guests. Your post starts with “Seriously funny… Truth hurts for the guilty but it’s fun for the innocent”. It seems to me as though you started this post with the intention of gaining pleasure in the bashing of those that you or your group perceive as guilty with no provided evidence. Reading this thread on your public wall, Jojo, it is easy to presume that Luisa Marshall is the one guilty of the accusations on your thread because her name is mentioned numerous times with some people even calling her out. I wish to address some of the accusations I feel you have directed at my wife.

Discrediting and mocking impersonators is you and your Hirit group’s (especially Roque Juatco Jr.’s) personal opinion, which you are entitled to, but I would like to state that Luisa Marshall supported you and your Hirit group’s Pinoy Fiesta 2011 as a Tina Turner Impersonator with her band. She did this at no expense to Pinoy Fiesta but only to support you, Jojo Quimpo, and your event. Luisa Marshall is not ashamed of her passion as an Impersonator/Tribute Artist as it has allowed her to contribute to countless charities for over 18 years. One such charity event being in 2009, when Luisa Marshall initiated “Celebrity Tributes for a Cause” for the Philippine Ondoy flood victims relief at the River Rock Casino. She was one of the main organizers of the event, asking her friends and fellow impersonator/tribute artists to donate their time and talent for the fundraiser, while also she herself performing her Tina Turner and Lady Gaga Impersonation. Through the event “Celebrity Tributes for a Cause”, $40,189.14 was raised and made payable to the Canadian Red Cross. Now although, you and members of your Hirit group may laugh at and find Luisa Marshall’s line of work demeaning, she is very much proud of her work as an Impersonator/Tribute Artist and feels blessed to be able to use her talent to help raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for many legitimate, high-profile local and international non-profit charitable events.

Your Hirit group member Romeo Gabriola Torres goes on to call Luisa Marshall a “Looser” and accusing her of spreading rumours in the community. He refers to a guest on Luisa Marshall’s local TV show, Simply the Best, as that “Gay” and “Baklang” (Filipino slang word for homosexual individuals). Romeo Gabriola Torres laughs at Luisa’s guest for sharing his experience about being a victim of bullying and scams. He then finishes his comment by calling out Luisa directly and telling her that she must change the title of her show to “SIMPLY THE BEST LIAR.” Jojo Quimpo, I am concerned that you’ve allowed Romeo Gabriola Torres’ negative comment on your wall and continue to leave it up in public where it has garnered Likes from your fellow Hirit members Roque Juatco Jr and Cj Lacaba. Romeo Gabriola Torres’ comment contains damaging remarks about Luisa’s TV show and also contains comments of what I feel promotes hate towards one of her guests which he continuously refers to not as that “man” or that “person” or his name, but as that “Gay” and that “Baklang”. If the victim Romeo Gabriola Torres is referring to is Maevn Hauser (former Hirit member and former correspondent for the discontinued TV show Pinoy Buzz Vancouver), he does in fact have a police report filed.

Another member of your Hirit group, Roque Juatco Jr, states that “Luisa Marshall has been calling ppl and sending emails, slandering our name…” on your public Facebook wall. In your last email (which you forwarded to members of your Hirit group) you accused Luisa of sending vicious messages that you state was sent to a number of individuals. Again, like I’ve written above and in my email responses to you in the past, where is your evidence? You’ve forwarded your email “Other matter – my personal opinion” to your Hirit group which contained your baseless accusations towards Luisa Marshall, and now it seems as though you have your Hirit group believing in your groundless accusations as true. A number of your Hirit members have been publicly making remarks about it on your Facebook wall for anyone and everyone to see.

Jojo Quimpo, while you cannot control the comments of your fellow Hirit group on your public Facebook posts and threads, as a respected Filipino community leader, you do have the power to use your public Facebook page for positivity and for the unity of the Filipino community. You have the power to remove unsubstantiated derogatory statements made by anyone on your Facebook wall, be it your Hirit group or any other individual. I ask you to please refer to your posts on February 6th, 2013 and February 7th, 2013 showcasing a photo of a cat with the words “Hypocrisy annoys me, people need to look into mirrors” and remove all comments that in any way appear to defame Luisa Marshall.

If you cannot provide clear evidence that Luisa Marshall has specifically named in writing untrue and libelous remarks that she stated as a true fact about someone from your group and present proof that she sent numerous emails to separate people on this subject or evidence in the form of written signed statements from these supposed people that Luisa verbally stated anything that is untrue, slanderous and stated as a fact as she is accused of on your public Facebook page, then I ask that you issue an apology. Please put your apology on your public Facebook wall where all of this started, tagging all those people who were originally tagged on your post and all those that left a comment and/or liked your posts.

Moreover, in the future, please refrain from encouraging and condoning negative behaviour and attacks on Luisa Marshall, her line of work and her TV show. From this point forward, please you and any individuals in your group who have an issue with us to communicate directly with me in writing to keep this professional. Jojo Quimpo, I certainly consider that what you’ve started, allowed and promoted on your public Facebook wall is the very thing that you claim annoys you: hypocrisy.

As a result of your and unprofessional actions regarding this matter, I wish to clear my wife Luisa Marshall’s name and good standing reputation. I will be forwarding a full copy of this email to everyone you tagged and anyone who commented on or liked your February 6th, 2013 post starting with “Seriously funny… Truth hurts for the guilty but it’s fun for the innocent” and your February 7th, 2013 post, in which you shared with yourself the same photo of a cat “Hypocrisy annoys me, people need to look into mirrors” in what appears to be your instigation and promotion of yet another malicious attack. In addition, I will be forwarding this email to various community leaders and anyone who has seen or heard of your post and requests for a copy from me.

As a proud supporter of your event Pinoy Fiesta since it first started in 2010 and until last year, I am disappointed that after submitting my Pinoy Fiesta analysis you have turned it into a personal attack with unrelated personal issues. After how this situation was handled by you, Jojo Quimpo, I admit that I do not have positive things to say about my experience with you, your Hirit group or your Pinoy Fiesta event. I feel you have dealt with me unprofessionally regarding this matter (especially in regards to your malicious public Facebook posts) and do not wish to support you, Jojo Quimpo, your Hirit group, Pinoy Fiesta and other events you and your group are associated with.

Regards,

Steve Marshall