Nadia Montenegro’s battle is not over yet.
Her child abuse complaint against Annabelle Rama may have been dismissed by the Quezon City’s office of the prosecutor, but she’s dead set on filing a motion for reconsideration.
As the mother of the two young stars involved, she feels strongly about her contentions.
And even if in the beginning, she gave Annabelle her consent to manage the careers of Anykka and Alyanna, Nadia made it clear, "priority ang studies."
She said discussing her disagreements with the talent manager over the schedules and exposure of her daughters was just scratching the surface.
It would be superficial, Nadia added, to point out: "Pinag-workshop sa singing and dancing ang anak ko, e, in the first place, kasama yun sa 30 percent commission na pinag-usapan..."
Before this exclusive interview—which took place last April 23—was put on the record, Nadia said in an exasperated tone, "Ang dami ko pang hindi nasabi… Actually, ang dami ko nang nasabi na hindi nailabas…"
And for one last time, she decided to tell PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) in detail, the delicate issues that would help the public understand why she’s crying "child abuse."
Looking poised to take down her nemesis, she exclaimed, "Can someone take this seriously? ‘Yon lang ang point ko, e, can someone take this seriously?
"I mean, if you’ve [referring to Annabelle] done it in the past to others, don’t do it to my kids. I don’t think nga it’s a crime that I will not allow her to do to my children what she did to her own children. I mean, everybody knows that."
What exactly triggered this hullabaloo?
"RAPE AND STD." In Nadia's five-page complaint affidavit, the "very demeaning rumors" about her daughters were underlined.
Nope, they were not revealed through any interview of Annabelle.
But, yes, they circulated via text messaging—according to the former actress.
It would be hard to prove that the text message—claiming Alyanna was raped by her father Boy Asistio when she was 10 years old and that Anykka had STD [sexually-transmitted disease]—originated from Annabelle Rama’s phone.
But there were people who saw the talent manager admit that it was her fault, and even "apologized" four times.
Nadia said, "She texted that to a hundred people, [and] that hundred people [texted] that to [another] hundred people… How can I prove to those people that it’s not true?"
Also present at the "tell-all" session was Atty. Marie Glen Abraham, who threw in: "Pero ang hindi naman talaga alam ng mga tao is she texted."
If not for Nadia’s interview, the rumors wouldn’t have been made public. (CLICK HERE to read story.)
Annabelle said in her most recent interview, "Sinisira niyang anak niya sa pagbanggit niya!" (CLICK HERE to read story.)
Nadia retorted, "So why did naman I reveal it? I didn’t reveal it.
"I answered why, I want the people to understand why I am filing a case [of child abuse] against this woman because if that happened to [her] own children, baka hindi lang ito ang gagawin nila—‘yong ihabla sa korte. Baka kung anong paraan pa ang ginawa nila…
"Nobody touched it. It was in the affidavit from day one, it was there kung bakit ko siya dinedemanda.
"Totoo, I didn’t reveal it. From the beginning of the case, October pa lang nandiyan sa affidavit."
Atty. Abraham seconded, "Hindi siya ang nag-out no’n sa public, kundi sinagot niya ‘yong mga allegations, that allegation against Annabelle Rama."
Nadia stressed that this already happened to Annabelle’s former talents in the past.
"Ito lang ang akin, ha. Hindi lang naman ako ang unang nakaaway ng taong ito.
"’Yong she has the knowledge, that she has the power… She can speak on TV and speak in front of everybody and make them believe because she’s matapang.
"People believe that she’s telling the truth. How can you swear na you didn’t say it when that [is] why there is a case?
"Who’s the liar now?
"Don’t take back what you said, everybody saw it, everybody read it.
"Naka-match ‘yon, tatanggapin ba naman ng korte ‘yon kung hindi ba naman naka-tweet ‘yon, siya lang naman nag-imbento no’n, e.
"Kaya we’re hoping that one of these days those witnesses will come out and say what she really said."
And what’s her reaction to Annabelle’s pronouncement that Nadia couldn't find a witness.
Nadia's consistent reply: "She apologized four times to me, in front of Annette Gozon, Mrs. [Tessie] Gozon, Maritess Gozon, and Tracy Garcia.
"She apologized to me in front of all of them, at the house of Atty. Felipe Gozon.
"She apologized to me four times.
"These people are a family of lawyers. Now, I believe that if they will be summoned [to] court, these people will tell the truth.
"I’m not asking them, I don’t even talk to them. That was the last time I saw them."
But Annabelle seemed certain that Nadia would not be able to find a witness to prove her claim…
Nadia interjected, "Why, dahil ‘yong mga nasa affidavit, e, mga boss from the network na nag-aalaga sa anak niya?
"They know the truth and how to handle it.
"I never asked anyone, from day one, to take my side.
"Not once did I ask na, ‘Oy, kampihan n’yo ko.’ Not once did I ask anyone to believe me.
"That’s why I filed in court. That’s the only way I can fight. I won’t fight her battle—she’s scaring everybody, ‘wag niyang takutin lahat.
"‘Yong alam niyang mga kakampi ko, tinatakot niya na ibubulgar niya na ano… Imbento na naman siya ng buhay tungkol sa taong hindi niya kilala?
"Crazy! It’s a crazy cycle, somebody has to stop it."
"SINGLE AND A VIRGIN." Another incident that strained their relationship was when Annabelle brought Nadia's kids to Cebu in May 2011.
There were several instances when "nagkainitan kami"—said Nadia—because of the parties—where, according to Annabelle, "maraming V.I.P."
Anykka and Alyanna’s mom related, "’Tita, hindi naman na kailangan sa mga parties ‘yong mga bata, kasi 15-16 [years old] lang ‘yan,’
"[Sabi niya] ‘Hindi, hindi…’
"[Pero] alam mo ‘yong point kong ‘yon na parang the kids were not comfortable to attend those parties that they have to go to?
"[Sasabihin niya], ‘Ay, hindi sisikat mga anak mo, ganyan. Kailangan mo padala dito…'"
The entire time, Nadia wasn’t convinced. "Kasi parang feeling ko, ang tagal-tagal ko na sa business na ‘to, parang hindi naman ako sinubsob ni Tito Dougs [Douglas Quijano] sa mga parties ng seniors, ‘yong point kong gano’n," she said.
"Hanggang sa the last, ang pinakamatindi talaga is when she brought the two kids to Cebu."
This time, Nadia requested Annabelle to allow her eldest, Ynna, to accompany her sisters.
She recounted, "Kumpiyansa ako kasi si Ynna nando’n. Si Ynna kasi, marunong lumaban ‘yan.
"Pagdating nila doon sa Cebu, tsinek ‘yong mga maleta ng mga anak ko, nagalit!
"Lagi siyang nagagalit kung bakit mukhang madre ang mga anak ko sa mga long dress, pants, clothes… Gusto niya laging plunging, shorts, e, hindi nga pupuwede kasi, may tatay ‘yong mga anak ko na hindi papayag.
"Ang ginawa niya, nagbigay siya ng pera sa kapatid niya, sa pamangkin niya para samahan ‘yong mga bata sa mall [na] mamili ng mga damit."
Annabelle’s instruction was to buy "short-short shorts, ha, at high heels… kung diamond-studded, diamond-studded."
Ynna told her mom right away; Nadia's reaction?
"Sabi ko, ‘Go with the flow. Kung may ipagawa sa inyo na hindi na kayo komportable, call me right away, I’ll book you the first flight out.’
But she finally took drastic actions when she heard Annabelle introduce her alaga.
"Nagtaka lang ako, bakit puwede mo naman i-introduce ‘yong mga anak ko using their first names—si Ynna, si Anykka, mga artista ko, mga anak ni Nadia Montenegro.
"Bakit magpapakilala siya, ‘single and virgin?’ Anong punto niya do’n?
"Ynna called me, sabi ko, ‘Go straight to your room,’ [pero] ayaw ni Tita Annabelle.
"Hindi… hindi sila pinayagan. Pinasok niya [Annabelle] sa casino ang 15 years old ko, 16 years old ko...
"Do’n ako na-alarma. Tinawagan ko na si Boy [Asistio], sabi ko, ‘Dad, hindi na tama ‘to. I’ll book them first flight out.’"
That was what also prompted Nadia to decide: "Mag-aaral na lang yung mga bata…"
Much as the kids wanted to defy their manager, Nadia explained, "She’s a dictator. Hindi mo puwedeng hindi sundin ang gusto niya, ‘pag hindi mo sinunod ang gusto niya, sisigawan ka niya.
"She embarrasses naman the talents in front of everybody kapag hindi nasusunod ang gusto niya."
THE AFTERMATH. It never occurred to her that Annabelle would one day become her enemy, and would give her family and daughters so much pain.
"To the point na sisirain mo ang pangalan ng mga bata sa text message, na iti-text mo sa isang daan, dalawang daang tao na ganito sila, ganyan sila na parang, ‘di ba?
"To the point na naka-match naman ‘yong mga text niya, e, ‘yong mga tweets niya, e, lahat ng mga kabab*yan…"
It never occurred to her that her friendship with Ruffa would be ruined one day.
Her former friend, Nadia said, would know what this battle is about.
"In this case of child abuse, alam mo, I swear on my life, the person who truly understands me is Ruffa.
"I don’t know what the hell she’s been saying, she knows that this child abuse exists, even Ylmaz knows, everybody knows it exists...
"I don’t know why she’s pretending [it doesn't exist] right now."
What she initially wanted was for Annabelle to "release" her kids "in a peaceful way."
But according to Nadia, she got a "walang makikinabang kundi ako lang" remark from the talent manager.
Nadia was even willing to forget about the rumors, "pero dapat kasi tumahimik na siya, e, hindi siya tumigil."
She continued, "You have to understand that child abuse was [committed] because of how she treats them. Is the Cebu [incident] not enough? Why introduce my children na ‘single and virgin?’"
What’s the effect of all these on her daughters?
She answered, "Siyempre, masakit.
"That’s why I did this, how can they take that? Until now it’s still a big ano, it’s not a joke what we're going through.
"Natulala ang mga anak ko sa ginawa ni Annabelle sa kanila, what she said in front of them, she has hurt them so much to the point that they are emotionally distraught.
"I’ve never seen my children so tulala for months, ‘yong isa umiiyak sa gabi.
"Alam mo ‘yon, sobrang ang tindi…
"And if that’s not child abuse, I don’t know what it is. Lahat ng ginawa niya, hindi ko alam bakit hindi child abuse ‘yon."
For his part, Boy Asistio has plans of filing a case next week.
According to Nadia, "He’s not taking it well now. He’s hurting. He’s 76 years old.
"Kaya niyang mangyari sa pamilya niya ‘yan, kami hindi namin kaya ‘yan."
She won’t stop until justice is served.
"Alam mo, as a mother, ‘di ba… Dati ‘pag nagkuwentuhan tayo, ‘Ito ang pinagdaanan ko nung kabataan ko, grabe din naghirap ako, no’ng nine years old ako ganito ako…’"
Sadly, her daughters—who have been called "baduy," "manang," "hindi sikat," "walang talent," and, according to Nadia’s complaint affidavit, one was raped by her dad, the other had STD—will have these sad stories to tell.
"I never wanted my children to have stories like these in their lives.
"And because of a woman like her, this is gonna be forever in my children’s [memories].
"As they walk there, people will think, ‘Ay, anak ni Nadia, ‘yan kaya ‘yong may STD o na-rape?’
"This is for life.
"This is the damage she has done for life, and she has to pay for this."
With conviction, she repeated: "She definitely will pay for this, by God’s grace she will pay for this, trust me. Pagbabayaran niya ‘to."
PEP got in touch with Annabelle Rama and her publicist, Jun Lalin, but they have yet to send Annabelle's and Ruffa's side of the story.