MANILA, Philippines — A driver and personal assistant has filed complaints for assault, torture and serious illegal detention before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against actress Rhian Ramos and beauty queens Michelle Dee and Samantha Panlilio, as well as two of Dee’s bodyguards, after the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed a qualified theft case earlier filed against him.
The complainant, identified as alias “Totoy,” said the alleged abuse took place inside a condominium unit on the 39th floor of a Makati City residential building on Jan. 17, after he was accused of stealing private photos belonging to Dee.
Totoy claimed he was beaten by the actress and her companions while two male bodyguards were present, and that he was detained inside the unit for three days.
“I told them the photos were not with me, but I was beaten. Alcohol was sprayed into my eyes, and my eyes were poked with fingers,” Totoy said in an interview aired on “TV Patrol” Wednesday night.
He further alleged that he attempted to escape by jumping from the unit.
“I jumped from the 39th floor but managed to hold onto a rope. I was brought back by condominium security,” he said.
Totoy was later taken to the Makati Police Station and charged with qualified theft. The case, filed by Dee, was dismissed by the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office three days later, leading to his release on Jan. 22.
Dee earlier accused Totoy of taking an angpao containing “sensitive images” from her room at the condominium she shared with actress Rhian Ramos. Dee claimed Totoy admitted taking the images and returned some of them, but not all.
Following the dismissal of the theft case, Totoy filed complaints before the NBI against Dee, Ramos and another beauty queen identified in reports as Samantha Panlilio. Totoy said the alleged abuse drove him to attempt to take his own life the following day.
In response, Dee and Ramos denied the allegations through their legal counsel, Atty. Maggie Abraham-Garduque, who said her clients have not yet received a copy of the complaint.
“Our clients have not yet received a copy of the complaint allegedly filed against them before the NBI. They will answer as soon as they received the copy of said complaint,” Garduque said.
She denied claims of illegal detention, saying Totoy was living in the condominium as part of his employment.
“As far as our client is concerned, there is no incident of illegal detention happened as Mr. Baro was a resident of the condo, being the driver of Rhian,” she said.
Garduque said the last interaction between her clients and Totoy involved the theft complaint.
“The last incident of our clients with Mr. Baro was when Michelle Dee filed a criminal case for qualified theft against him which he admitted and he even returned some of the items to Michelle,” she said.
She added that her clients believe the NBI complaint was retaliatory.
“Thus, our clients cannot think of any reason for initiating this complaint but a leverage and vindictive suit to said qualified theft case,” Garduque said.
The actresses said they will issue a formal response once they receive official documents from the NBI.