z5. Great Man

9. One day sometime in 2000 RD Escandor called me to his office. . . .
Then he said that I deserved to be happy,

that I am beautiful and smart and that many men admired me. . . . To my great horror, he told me he had been
attracted to me for a long time and if it was only possible, he would have prevented me from marrying Mark. ... He
said he liked the way I walked . . . He declared I was the kind of woman he wanted. . .
10. In the afternoon of the same day, ... he gently said he loved me and he could no longer hold back his attraction
to me. . . . Suddenly, I felt his hand on my thigh.11
After these incidents, Gamallo told her colleague, Lina Villamor, about what Escandor did to her.12
Escandor's alleged advances continued in the succeeding days, when Escandor would frequently ask Gamallo
personal questions such as her mood, what she did at home and during weekends, and details about her family,
among others.13 Because of the frequency of Escandor summoning Gamallo to his office, Gamallo related the
incidents to Rafael Tagalog (Tagalog), her immediate superior. Together with Villamor, Tagalog helped Gamallo
avoid situations where she would be alone with Escandor. Whenever Escandor would look for Gamallo, either
Tagalog or Villamor would accompany her to his office.14
However, Escandor's alleged advances did not stop. He incessantly sent Gamallo unsolicited messages through
Winpop, an intra-office messaging system, such as "Hello," "How are you today," "I miss you," "You look beautiful,"
"You look nice in your dress," and "I love you more every day."15 When Gamallo did not reply to these messages,
Escandor threatened her that she would be removed from the meeting list.16
During their Christmas party in 2000, Gamallo claimed she felt conscious as Escandor stared at her during her
dance performance with her officemates. After the party, she went to get her things from the third floor of the office
and when she reached the guard's station, Escandor was there. Upon reaching him, he grabbed her and was about
to kiss her on the lips. However, she moved away and the kiss landed on her left check. Gamallo then ran
downstairs where Villamor was waiting for her.17 In the same year's Christmas, Gamallo received chocolates, wine,
an agenda book and a bracelet from Escandor.18 A few days after, Gamallo told then Asst. Regional Director of the
National Economic Development Sandra Manuel (Manuel) about the incidents. Manuel advised her not to resign,
but made arrangements with Tagalog and Villamor to guard her.19
In February 2001, while in Cebu for a workshop, Escandor tracked Gamallo and Villamor to a folk house near their
hotel. He did not make any advances but insisted to pay for their drinks, which Gamallo and Villamor refused.20
Escandor's sexual advances allegedly continued, until Gamallo finally quit her job in November 2003.21
Three colleagues testified to corroborate Gamallo's account.22 Villamor testified that not only had Gamallo told her
about Escandor's sexual advances, but that she herself saw Escandor make such overtures, causing Gamallo great
distress to the point of reducing her to tears.23 She said that after those instances, she tried to prevent Gamallo
from being left alone with Escandor.24
Tagalog claimed that he, too, found out about the sexual harassment after he saw Escandor commit "some
improper acts and advances... to wards Gamallo."25 He said that "he counseled her to give Escandor the benefit of
the doubt [since] he might be undergoing a midlife crisis."26 Still, as Gamallo's immediate superior, he said he did
his best to "protect her from Escandor."27
Finally, Manuel averred that in 2000, she also learned of Escandor's indiscretions—first, when Villamor told her, and
second, when Gamallo herself confided in her.28 She said that while she "dissuaded Gamallo from resigning," she
"reported the matter to the [National Economic and Development Authority] Deputy Director General."29 This
caused the latter to confront Escandor.30 Escandor, learning about her action "accused her of disloyalty and told
her to resign from NEDA."31
In his defense,32 Escandor testified that he never engaged in the acts recounted by Gamallo. He claimed that the
acts allegedly committed by him are "pure fabrication."33 He explained that his office was always open and its
inside was visible from the outside, as their office was designed such that every room would have one door beside a
large glass window measuring around four by six feet, making the people inside visible.34 He also claimed that he
could not have harassed Gamallo as his wife, who was employed at the same office, could also see the things
happening in his office, just like the other employees.35
According to Escandor, the filing of the Complaint was part of an effort by a group of disgruntled employees to
remove him and his wife from office.36 He averred that the Complaint was also filed in retaliation to the filing of
administrative cases against Gamallo's husband, Atty. Russ Mark Gamallo (Atty. Gamallo), who was also a National
Economic and Development Authority employee. 37
To prove this scheme against him, Escandor presented as lone witness John Louis Savellon, a utility worker at the
National Economic and Development Authority, who testified that some of his officemates asked for his support to
oust Escandor.38 When he declined, Atty. Gamallo and a certain Mark Cabadsan harassed him. He also said that
he heard someone say in the library, "Tan awa nato asa kutob si Escandor kini kafile sa sexual harassment
cases" (Let us see how far Escandor can go when the sexual harassment cases are filed).39

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9. One day sometime in 2000 RD Escandor called me to his office. . . .

Then he said that I deserved to be happy,

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