Dear Editor,

 

I was the subject of Atty. Gonzalo Duque’s series of articles in his Playing with Fire column. His incessant tirades have put my name in a bad light, and it is for this reason that I ask for a space in your prestigious community paper to explain my side and reply to the issues he raised.

In the interest of truth and fairness, herewith are the facts;

 

(1) On his claim that I received P25 million and never returned it.

A: It was only through Atty. Gonzalo Duque’s column that I came to know that his brother advanced something like P25 million to me.

 

(2) On his claim that efforts to collect were futile.

A:  I have yet to see a demand or collection letter sent through either ordinary or registered mail. The last time I had a meeting with Mr. Cesar Duque was sometime in 2005. On the other hand, Atty. Gonzalo Duque never discussed this matter with me.

 

(3) On his claim that I signed a deed of sale that was consummated with a P20 million advance.

A: Atty. G. Duque was never privy to the transaction and apparently, is absolutely clueless about the details. Probably, his brother failed to mention to him that no Deed of Sale was executed yet, only a Memorandum of Agreement, stipulating certain conditions which should first be met by the agreeing parties before a deed could be executed. The conditions were not met.

 

(4) On his claim that the deed of sale was signed and I unilaterally cancelled it three months later.

A: Again, only a Memorandum of Agreement was signed in May, 2005, and not a Deed of Sale.

After Mr. Cesar Duque failed to comply with two important conditions of the MOA, he, through his agent, realtor Jose Juan Galvez III wrote me a letter on April 25, 2006, almost a year after the MOA signing, for a new offer to buy.

Disappointed and exasperated over the inability of Mr. Cesar Duque to comply with the terms of the MOA in such a lengthy period, and finding the new offer unacceptable, I wrote back to him on June 15,2006, rescinding the MOA, underscoring the two important conditions he failed to fulfill. This is evidenced by Registry Return Receipt dated July 4, 2006. A copy of the same letter was also acknowledged by his agent Jose Juan Galvez IlI on June 30, 2006.

 

(5) On his brother’s threat to sue me.

A: I welcome the filing of the suit, and I have been waiting for the court summon since the column appeared in your paper. Six years and ten months have since lapsed, and I for one, would settle for nothing less than a legal closure to this impasse.

I would like to assure the readers, that it is not my intention to square-off with any of the Duque brothers. I respect them, especially Atty. Gonzalo Duque who is a highly regarded leader in the academic community.

I believe however, that it will be to our mutual benefit if their claims and my counter-claims are settled thru judicial process.

 

Thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight.

 

Sincerely,

VOLTAIRE P. ARZADON

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