Aiko Melendez slapped with two libel cases

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines – Two Bulacan mayors filed separate libel cases against actress Aiko Melendez on April 28. Melendez’ ex-boyfriend, Bulacan Mayor Patrick Meneses, charged the actress at the Prosecutor’s Office in Malolos, Bulacan.

Alleging the actress was responsible for discrediting his personality, Meneses said he is taking her to court to seek justice. “Ginawa ko ito para ipaglaban ‘yung aking pagkatao,” Meneses said on “Showbiz News Ngayon,” April 28.

“Bilang isang ama ng bayan ng Bulacan, siyempre maraming naniniwala sa akin. Isang bayan ang nasa balikat ko... ang pamilya ko, andiyan lahat nakasuporta para sa isang pagkatao na ‘wag namang sisirain.”

Without sounding bitter, Mayor Meneses said, “Nakakahinayang nga 'yung paghihiwalayan ‘di ba? Unfortunately hindi umabot sa altar and [we had] to go on different ways.”

Mayor Meneses got the support of the Bulacan officials in his case against Melendez and other personalities, with 21 mayors filing a resolution to declare as persona non grata those who will be proven guilty in discrediting the public official's personality.

One of his supporters, Malolos Mayor Christian Natividad, said in an interview,

“Gusto naming i-express ‘yung aming suporta sa kanyang [Meneses pinagdaraanan ngayon. Actually, mahirap ang pinagdaraanan niya ngayon. Nakasama namin siyang mag-lunch at talagang malungkot (siya). Malalim siyang mag-isip.”

On the same day, a colleague, Pandi Bulacan Mayor Enrico Roque, also filed libel charges against Melendez, Mr. Cez Gella, Mr. Pete Ampoloquio and Mr. Ronald Rafer.

Roque’s legal counsel Atty. Noel Roxas stressed that his client’s case is separate from the one filed by Mayor Meneses.

“They’re not joint. We have separate complaints with damages,” Atty. Roxas explained, adding Mayor Enrico asked for P5 million in damages.

Atty. Roxas said they filed the case “for several reasons” and one is “because his (Roque) name was unjustly maligned and we have to do this for the people who care for him and the people who elected him as mayor of Pandi, Bulacan.”

Last Sunday on “Paparazzi,” TV host Cristy Fermin presented to Mayor Meneses several printouts of what she claimed are direct messages made via Twitter. These messages supposedly prove that Melendez had a hand in discrediting her ex-boyfriend by orchestrating reports that he is gay.

“Ang hawak po ngayon na mga dokumento ay pagpapalitan po ng tweets ni Aiko Melendez at ng isang kaibigan niyang bading. Dito po ay makikita natin kung papa'no silang nag-usap at kung papano po babalangkasin at pa'no sila mag-iimbento ng mga kwento na kuwestyonable ang kasarian ni Mayor Patrick Meneses,” Fermin said.

After leafing through the printouts, Mayor Meneses exclaimed, “Sa totoo po, I am at awe. Gulat na gulat po ako.”

While Melendez initially said in a recent past “SNN” interview that she will not comment on the issue, her manager, Boy Abunda, said on same episode that his ward will speak out her side of the story.

“Marami po ang nagtatanong. Si Aiko ba ay magsasalita. Si Aiko ba ay magbibigay ng statement. Aiko is going to do her first and last interview about this case. Live po sa 'The Buzz' ngayon Linggo,” Abunda said.

source: mb.com.ph