MANILA, Philippines — The Makati prosecutor’s office has dismissed the slew of cases filed by Rhian Ramos’ driver against her as well as beauty queens Michelle Dee and Samantha Panlilio for lack of evidence.
The driver, known only as Totoy, charged the celebrities and Dee’s bodyguards with illegal detention, slight physical injuries, maltreatment and unlawful arrest for allegedly locking him up inside a condominium unit in Makati from Jan. 17 to 19 for supposedly stealing an angpao that contained sensitive photos.
In a resolution dated Sept. 1, Makati senior assistant prosecutor Mikhail Maverick Tumacder dismissed the cases for insufficiency of evidence.
“The complainant failed to establish that he was forced to stay in the condo unit,” the resolution stated. “The allegation of the complainant that he was detained was insufficient to charge the respondents.”
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, which is helping Totoy in the case, has vowed to challenge the prosecutor’s decision.
In a statement sent to The STAR, Dee’s lawyer, Maggie Abraham-Garduque, lauded the dismissal of the complaints.
The Makati prosecutor’s office indicted Totoy for theft in May in a case filed by Dee.