CJ’s son, daughter-in-law forgive fish ball vendor

Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin on Monday said his son, Dr. Lucas B. Bersamin Jr., and daughter-in-law Bianca have decided to withdraw the case filed against a fish ball vendor who was arrested last Saturday in Makati City on complaints of unjust vexation and threat.

In an interview, the Chief Justice said the decision to withdraw the case against Conrado Bingco, the 38-yearold vendor, was arrived at after the couple consulted with him after the incident.

“Although the couple said that this is a serious matter that should not be taken lightly, moving on from the issue and desisting from prosecuting the case was deemed best for both parties,” the Chief Justice said.

“The couple, however, is pushing for proper legislature to protect women’s rights against catcalling and other forms of sexual harassment,” he added.

Published reports stated that Bianca was walking along Malugay Street in Barangay Bel-Air, Makati City, when she was harassed by Bingco when she declined to buy fish ball.

Bianca went home and told her husband, a surgeon, what happened. The fish ball vendor was confronted by Dr. Bersamin.

The same reports stated that Chief Inspector Gideon Ines, Makati police’s assistant chief of police for operations, said Dr. Bersamin had an argument with the vendor.

Ines said that Bingco scared Dr. Bersamin by pretending to pull something from behind him, but “it was just nothing.” “He was pretending he has a weapon, but we found nothing,” he said.

The incident prompted Dr. Bersamin to seek to assistance of nearby policemen who arrested the vendor.

Bingco was held at the Makati police headquarters on charges of unjust vexation and threat.

Unjust vexation is “a form of light coercion which involves the application of threats or violence which, however, is not followed through to consummation; an act that is meant to annoy, vex, irritate, or torment the offended party.”