Does driver’s torture claim vs Michelle Dee, Rhian Ramos, Samantha Panlilio add up?

MANILA, Philippines – The supposed driver and personal assistant of Rhian Ramos came forward to accuse the actress and two beauty queens, Michelle Dee and Samantha Panlilio, of torture and illegal detention.

The driver, who goes by the alias “Totoy,” filed the complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, January 28. He was accompanied by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), which took special notice of his case.

What went down, according to Totoy

Totoy alleged that from January 17 to 19, he was beaten and tortured inside Ramos’ condo unit in Makati City after he was accused of stealing sensitive photos.

He claimed that on January 17, he arrived at the condo unit at 3 am with Ramos and Dee’s bodyguards. The bodyguards allegedly proceeded to kick and punch him, and Dee forced him to stand up and admit that the said photos were in his possession.

Ramos allegedly slapped him and hit him several times. Dee supposedly undressed him, poured alcohol all over him, and poked his eyes with her fingernails.

He said he attempted to escape by jumping from the 39th floor, and proceeded to enter a unit on the 25th floor through an open window. His escape turned out to be unsuccessful, as he claimed that the bodyguards were already on the first floor, waiting to bring him back to Ramos’ unit.

Totoy also claimed that Panlilio’s helper was involved in the incident, although it was not clear why Panlilio’s helper would be at Ramos’s unit.

According to a report by GMA News, Dee brought Totoy to the police station on January 19 to file a qualified theft complaint against him. Totoy then alleged that the policemen there assaulted him, too, by hitting him with an arnis stick, hurting his hands, and forcefully stepping on his feet.

Meanwhile, PEP.ph reported that VACC president Arsenio “Boy” Evangelista claimed that Ramos had also gotten angry at Totoy for supposedly feeding information about her to her ex-boyfriend Sam Verzosa. He clarified, though, that Verzosa was not involved in the alleged detention and beating of Totoy.

Ramos and Dee’s side

Dee and Ramos’ legal counsel, Maggie Abraham-Garduque, stated on January 28 that the two celebrities had not yet received a copy of the complaint. Through Garduque, Dee and Ramos also denied that illegal detention happened as he was a stay-in driver for Ramos.

Garduque said Dee had filed a criminal case against Totoy in the past for qualified theft. He allegedly admitted to it, and even returned some of the stolen items to Dee.

“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 in a statement sent to members of the press.

Panlilio’s side

While Dee and Ramos have issued their own statements through their legal counsel, Panlilio has yet to speak up on the accusations herself.

Do Totoy’s testimonies add up?

On Thursday, January 29, Garduque said in an episode of Fast Talk With Boy Abunda that Totoy’s account of the incident was “not only physically impossible but incredible.”

Garduque said that, by January 19, Totoy was already at the Makati City Police Station to undergo inquest investigation. She said he was also brought to Ospital ng Makati for a medical examination before he was held at the police station.

“No signs of said mauling were seen during his medical examination. Moreover, his allegations do not match the injuries he showed to the media. He said he was punched, kicked, slapped, and his eye was likewise poked with the nails of Michelle. However, he failed to show any bruises or injury in his body, face, and eye,” Garduque said.

The legal counsel said the injuries Totoy claimed to have sustained weren’t visible when he faced the press to air his side.

Meanwhile, Barangay Urdaneta in Makati City confirmed that Dee had personally filed a blotter report against a driver on January 18, according to ABS-CBN News.

In the blotter report, Dee claimed that she sustained bruises, scratches, and nail marks on her right arm at the hands of the driver.

The beauty queen-singer also mentioned Totoy’s attempt to escape by jumping from the 39th floor and entering another unit to get to the ground floor. She said that Totoy was eventually caught and brought back — which lines up with the driver’s own account of the incident.

What are Dee, Ramos, and Panlilio’s circles saying about the issue?

Footwear designer Jojo Bragais claimed on Thursday, January 29, that Dee could not have been involved in the assault against Totoy, as they were together in Iloilo on January 17. Bragais often designs shoes for prestigious pageants and has worked with Dee and Panlilio in the past.

Dee was a special guest at the grand coronation night of Miss Iloilo on January 17. The pageant’s official Facebook page posted photos of Dee’s live performance on the same night, raising further questions about Totoy’s testimony.

As of this writing, the NBI is still verifying Totoy’s claims.

Dee represented the Philippines in Miss Universe 2023, where she finished in the top 10. Ramos, meanwhile, currently plays Kera Mitena in Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre. The two are close friends.

Panlilio is also a beauty queen who represented the Philippines in Miss Grand International 2021. She also competed in Miss Universe Philippines 2023 and finished in the top 18. – Rappler.com