Lolit owes Gabby P700K, a 2004 court ruling says

MANILA, Philippines - When Gabby Concepcion returned to the country after spending years in the United States, it turned out that he was not only coming home to several pending lawsuits but also to an award from the court amounting to P700,000 after winning a case he filed against his former talent manager and showbiz show host Lolit Solis. A Court of Appeals decision dated July 19, 2004 ordered Solis to pay the actor the amount of P500,000 in moral damages, and P100,000 each for exemplary damages and attorney’s fees. However, the decision became known to Concepcion to weeks ago after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 97 which earlier handled the case, furnished him a copy of the decision which became final and executory on March 27, 2005. Records showed that Solis, a former talent manager of Concepcion, filed the civil case against Concepcion in 1994 demanding a sum of money for her unpaid commissions as talent manager, reimbursements for expenses and the money she allegedly advanced to Concepcion which the latter refused to return. Solis claimed that Concepcion owed her a 10 percent agent’s commission for three movies and ten episodes of a TV sitcom, saying the actor had already collected his talent fees from the producers. But in his answer on Solis’ complaint, Concepcion - who admitted that Solis was his talent manager and financial manager - said she merely assisted him in his negotiations for various movies and TV contracts. Concepcion said it was he who managed and took custody of his earnings derived from such contracts. Concepcion added that Solis failed to perform her duties as manager and to render full accounting of the money that was entrusted to her. The actor sought for a counterclaim since he suffered damages and prayed that Solis be held liable to him and be ordered to turn over all contracts and related documents and to render full and final accounting of all money held in trust to her amounting to P2-million. Then QCRTC Branch 97 Presiding Judge Oscar Leviste dismissed the case of Solis and favored the counterclaim sought by Concepcion and ordered her to pay the actor in the amount of P2 million for nominal damages, P3 million for moral damages; P100,000 each for exemplary damages and attorney’s fees. After the dismissal of the case, Solis appealed the case at the CA but the latter upheld the decision of the lower court but lowered the amount of damages to be paid by Solis to the actor. It in its decision, the CA ruled that Solis failed to provide sufficient proof to justify a judgment against Concepcion. - GMANews.TV