Cebu bizman facing sexual harassment raps cries ‘extortion’
Lawyer Rhea Mae Senining-Judilla (left) with her client, Chad Regner (right), owner of Bucket Shrimps, answers questions from the media on the sexual harassment accusations hurled against the latter by two of his employees. | CDN Digital Photo by Morexette Erram
Cebu City, Philippines – “It may be a classic case of extortion.”
This was the claim of the camp of Chad Regner, the owner of a popular seafood restaurant in Cebu City, who was accused of allegedly sexually harassing two of his employees last Monday, February 4.
In a press conference on Thursday, February 7, Regner denied the accusations hurled against him by two of his employees, both female, who were still under probationary status.
Regner, is the founder and owner of Bucket Shrimps, answered the allegations against him through prepared notes and through his lawyer. He declined to respond to most of the questions from the media, often only saying “no comment.”
“I do not abuse my staff, and I love my staff. My business (Bucket Shrimps) wouldn’t be what it is now if it weren’t for them, too,” Regner said, reading from his prepared notes.
“I do not sexually harass my employees… I don’t want to make any speculations but it (sexual harassment accusation) may be a classic case of extortion,” Regner added.
Lawyer Rhea Mae Senining-Judilla, Regner’s legal counsel, also said they will exhaust all legal remedies to prove his innocence.
However, Senining-Judilla refused to issue further comments on the matter, adding that everything is now up to the court.
“As of now, our client wants privacy. We’re here (in this press conference) so that he (Regner) could air his side,” Senining-Judilla said.
Regner was arrested on Monday evening by operatives of the Fuente Police Station after two of his employees, both 20 years-old, reported him of sexually harassing them inside his office in Barangay Capitol-Site, Cebu City.
The complaints were formally filed the next day, Tuesday (February 5).
Senining-Judilla said they posted bail of P36,000 earlier today for Regner’s temporary release. /bjo
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