Content warning: This article contains mentions of physical assault and torture.
A man claiming to be Rhian Ramos’s personal assistant and driver lodged a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) together with the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), claiming that the actress—alongside beauty queens Michelle Dee and Samanta Panlilio—tortured and physically assaulted him for three days.
Speaking to the media, alias “Totoy” claimed that he and Ramos had just arrived back from taping at 3:00 AM on January 17 when the latter and her bodyguards accused him of possessing sensitive photos. Moreover, the complainant alleged that he was beaten inside the 39th floor of a Makati condominium unit.
“Bigla po nila akong hinawakan tapos binugbog agad ako doon sa loob..ang dami nilang ginawa sa akin,” he told reporters. “Nagmakakaawa po ako kahit…binubugbog pa rin ako.”
Alias “Totoy” was then asked to sit down and admit he had stolen the sensitive photographs. However, he denied getting hold of the said photos. Instead, he recalled falling out of the chair a couple of times.
“Itinuloy-tuloy pa rin ang bugbog sa akin ng company guard. Mga kasama ko ‘yon sa trabaho sila. Hindi po siya naawa sa akin, tapos si [actress] naman, naandon siya. Sinampal niya ako, tapos binatukan niya ako, ilang beses,” he claimed, adding that he questioned why the actress would do such a thing.
Dee arrived the following day. The complainant accused the beauty queen of spraying rubbing alcohol on his body and eyes.
“Tinatanong ko siya, ‘ma’am ano po gagawin natin,’ sabi niya, ‘maglaro tayo,’ sabi niya sa akin,” the compainant said. “Pagbaba niya sa akin, wala akong damit, inisprayhan niya ako, inangat niya ulo ko, inisprayhan niya mata ko tapos ginanon ng dalawang daliri niya. Tapos non, hinawakan niya ang kamay ko, ipinasok niya sa dalawang dito niya tsaka dito.”
The complainant also claimed that he decided to jump out of the window from the 39th floor, adding that he got hold of a rope, eventually reaching the inside of a 25th-floor unit. However, he was intercepted by bodyguards at the lobby and was taken back to the 39th floor.
Dee and Ramos’ statement
After the issue erupted, Dee and Ramos, through their legal counsel, Atty. Maggie Abraham-Garduque clarified that they have yet to receive a copy of the case filed against them.
In a statement released to the media, Abraham-Garduque said her clients will answer “as soon as they receive the copy” of the complaint. She also refuted the claims, stating that there is no incident of illegal detention and that the complainant was a resident of the said unit.
Abraham-Garduque furthered that the last incident involving Dee and the complainant was when the former filed a criminal case for qualified theft against the latter. The said driver admitted to the crime and returned some of the items to Dee. With this, the Dee’s lawyer said that the motive behind the complaint may be leverage and a vindictive suit against the qualified theft case.
Meanwhile, Panlilio has yet to issue a statement as of writing.
