Derek’s wife claims he abandoned son

MANILA, Philippines - The wife of actor Derek Ramsay broke her silence yesterday and revealed how the actor allegedly abandoned his obligation as a father to their now 11-year-old son.

Speaking to reporters in Makati City, Mary Christine Jolly Ramsay, a 36-year-old former commercial model and now a legal assistant in Dubai, said Derek is criminally liable for violating Republic Act (RA) 9262, which penalizes violence against women and their children.

Mary told reporters she was also a victim of psychological and physical abuse from Derek. 

“This case is about the violence perpetuated by Derek Ramsay against me and my son whom this man abandoned 11 years ago,” said Mary, who was born in Las Piñas City but moved to Dubai with her parents when she was six years old. Mary returned to the Philippines to attend college.

Last June 27, Mary filed a complaint against Derek before the Makati City prosecutor’s office for violation of RA 9262.

Mary said she and Derek met at a Makati bar in 2001 while she was still a student at a Makati university. Mary said Derek, at that time, had just been selected as one of the video jocks of MTV Philippines. 

Mary said she and Derek were married in 2002 in Balagtas, Bulacan and lived in the actor’s apartment in Makati.

According to Mary, while she lived with Derek, the actor would often come home drunk from parties he attended and even allegedly dated other women.

The relationship ended the same year when Mary got fed up and left the actor’s Makati apartment to join her parents in Dubai. Mary said she was one month pregnant with the actor’s son. 

Mary said she informed Derek of her pregnancy but the actor, who was then a commercial model, allegedly ignored her. 

According to Mary, throughout her stay in Dubai with their son, she has always kept in touch with Derek, However, Derek allegedly continued to ignore her until 2010 when she returned to the Philippines with their then eight-year-old son and confronted him.

Mary said a paternity test conducted in 2010 showed Derek to be her son’s father. She said that after a year, Derek and his parents decided to enter into a settlement.

However, Mary said Derek then reneged on his obligations to their son, forcing her to lodge the complaint against him. 

“I just want to assert my rights as a mother to my kid. Derek is using his money to influence my son’s behavior. I want to live a normal life again. I just hope that the law will favor and protect us from the abuses committed against us by Derek,” Mary said.

Meanwhile, Jojo Alonso, Derek’s lawyer, earlier said Mary is just making false accusations against the actor.

Mary, through her lawyers, is expected to file her reply to Ramsay’s counter-affidavit before the Makati prosecutor’s office on Sept. 4.