DJ Montano strikes back at Aussie blogger By Juliet Labog-Javellana Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 00:59:00 04/12/2008
(First of two parts) "THE AIM of this blog is blackmail. This is extortion."
More than a month since "the talented Mr. Montano" became the subject of the phenomenal blog by Australian Brian Gorrell, Delfin Justiniano "DJ" Montano on Friday broke his silence to counter allegations that he defrauded Gorrell of some 70,000 Australian dollars.
Montano, a 35-year-old businessman and former newspaper columnist, said he would take Gorrell to court to vindicate his name and that of his family and friends whom Gorrell dubbed "Gucci Gang" and pilloried in his infamous blog that has generated more than two million visits at last count.
"In the beginning I didn't think it would get this serious. But now I feel violated," he said.
He said he was forced to come out and fight since Gorrell had been dragging the names of family members and close friends.
"It has gotten out of control. The names of my family and friends are being mentioned; this is clear defamation," he said.
His godfather Benjie Laurel admitted he and other family friends initially advised Montano to keep silent, hoping the controversy would die down.
Montano also appealed to lawmakers to consider laws against Internet defamation.
"This is not curtailing freedom of speech but freedom of speech should not condone defamation or invasion of privacy," he said.
Montano, who admitted he had a relationship with Gorrell, denied they went into business together. He said Gorrell sent him money but they were all spent for Gorrell's living expenses when he decided to live in Boracay.
"I absolutely deny it. I am not a thief," Montano said. He added he had "absolutely nothing" to return to Gorrell.
Montano also denounced Gorrell for bringing up the death of Rustan's scion, Joel Tantoco, just to attract more controversy.
Montano denied telling Gorrell that Tantoco died by drug overdose, saying the autopsy report showed he died of hemorrhagic pancreatitis.
Legal action
"We're going to take [legal] action. We're willing to take this all the way," Montano said in a visit to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Friday.
"I'm ready to face Brian anytime. I'm not afraid of him. And I've never left [the county] contrary to what he says. I wish he'd come up with the guts to face me," the soft-spoken restaurateur and hotel consultant said.
Montano was accompanied by his mother Aurora, godfather Benjie Laurel and lawyer Jose Oliveros.
Oliveros said they were considering filing a criminal complaint for libel against Gorrell and civil cases of tort or damages in Australia and in the United States since the host of Gorrell's blog is a US company.
Montano said he had also written Google and Blogger.com to stop the blog, pointing out that the defamation he gets from this was a violation of their terms of use.
"I want vindication. I want justice. I want to protect my principles and the dignity of my family and friends and the honor of the Filipino nation," he said.
He pointed out that Gorrell, in his blog, said he would also expose the "hypocrisy of your corrupt country."
Since Gorrell went to town when he set up his blog on March 4 this year, Montano said he and his family have been the subject of hate messages like "You creep, thief ... "
"It has affected my life in so many ways. I've become infamous all of a sudden," Montano said.
Lifestyle change
He said he had to change some of his routine activities. He even quit a teaching job, as well as writing a column for a newspaper to spare colleagues and his high-society friends in the "Gucci Gang" from controversy.
"I had to change my lifestyle. I don't go to the gym anymore. If I go to the mall, people recognize me. I've changed all my contact details because they were all posted [in Gorrell's blog]," Montano said.
He stopped going to parties, too.
Mean messages
Montano revealed that people would throw pieces of paper with nasty messages at him in places like the gym.
Laurel said mean messages were also left for Montano when he and his family were billeted at a hotel in Bacolod City during the Holy Week. A guest left a note for him at the front desk. It read, "Creep." Somehow, their movements were being announced on Gorrell's blog.
Lawyer Oliveros said he also received nasty phone calls and as many as 45 messages on his e-mail right after he sent Gorrell a letter asking him to come to the Philippines to face Montano in court.
"Unfortunately because of this blog, so many people have prejudged me," Montano said.
He admitted the blog had put a strain on some of his friendships but he also found out who his true friends are.
Montano said he kept silent because he knew what Gorrell was saying about him was all wrong and that Gorrell only wanted to extort money.
'Don't stoop to his level'
Oliveros and Laurel said they did not want Montano to put up a similar blog advising him "not to stoop down" to Gorrell's level.
"We will go to the proper legal forum," Oliveros said.
Montano said contrary to Gorrell's claims in his blog, he did not give 70,000 Australian dollars to Montano to be used for an investment.
How they met
Montano said he met Gorrell in February 2007 at the Manila Peninsula hotel during a photo shoot. "He just approached me. He was very friendly."
Gorrell asked Montano to recommend places in Manila and the two struck a friendship for the 10 days the Australian was here.
"He fell in love with Boracay," Montano said, and he wanted to return to the Philippines to live on the famed beach.
Before Gorrell returned in July 2007, he sent Montano money to be used as rent money for a beachfront house in Boracay.
Montano said he found a two-bedroom house on the beach which rented for P25,000 to P50,000 a month depending on the season.
The first remittances Gorrell sent were for the two-month advance payment, Montano said, which was about P100,000.
Internet connection
Gorrell needed a phone line and an Internet connection and other amenities for his new home and Montano did it all for him.
Being a foreigner, Gorrell did not have a bank account nor credit cards. Montano said Gorrell had to send him the money for his living expenses.
"These things require money. Whatever he sent, I spent for his expenditures," Montano said. "I think he sent about P500,000 to P700,000, less than half of what he claims now."
He said Gorrell spent a lot of money in Boracay, and would stay at expensive hotels when he came to Manila. Gorrell stayed in the country for seven months, he said.
"This guy lived like a king in Boracay," Montano said.
Soon the friendship became a relationship.
Violent tendencies
"I do consultancy for hotels so I would go to Boracay and sometimes I would stay at his place," Montano said. "I had a relationship with him. I won't deny that, I regret it went this way."
Montano said he introduced Gorrell to his close friends such as Celine Lopez and other high-society figures.
He said Gorrell, who had a "simple background" as a florist in Australia got to like the high-living.
"He tried to keep up with the Joneses. I think he relished that lifestyle," Montano said.
But on Oct. 23 last year, Montano said he decided to call it quits with Gorrell, whom he described as a "temperamental person with violent tendencies."
(Tomorrow: The nasty split; Brian Gorrell's story.)
Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
To
subscribe to the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper in the Philippines,
call +63 2 896-6000 for Metro Manila and Metro Cebu or email your subscription request here.
Factual errors? Contact the
Philippine Daily Inquirer's day desk.
Believe this article violates journalistic ethics?
Contact the
Inquirer's Reader's Advocate.
Or write The Readers' Advocate:
c/o
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Chino RocesAvenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets,
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94
![Zoom Image](javascript:popwin("http://images.inquirer.net/media/showbizandstyle/entertainment/entertainment/images/pic-04120612080741.jpg", 640, 480))
Zoom
