THE 17-year-old daughter of comedian Jose Manalo filed a complaint against him for allegedly not being able to support their financial needs before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QCRTC) on Friday.
“Eat Bulaga” mainstay Manalo, whose real name is Ariel Manalo, was charged with violation of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act for failure to provide financial support to their family which forced her to stop schooling.
The complainant was represented by a legal counsel, Atty. Dennis Pangan.
As stated in the six-page complaint, the comedian abandoned their family residence in Quezon City on January 6, 2012 without leaving any information of his whereabouts.
The teenager added that since his father abandoned them, Manalo allegedly stopped giving financial support despite repeated pleas of her mother.
She said that she stopped going to school in August 2013 because they don’t have enough money for transportation and other school expenses.
The complainant also disclosed that she enrolled in Raffles Design Institute in Taguig City on October 2013 since the comedian allegedly promised her that he will provide for her tuition.
She added that his father only sent financial support for her education when her mother, the comedian's estranged wife, cried and begged to him during the mediation proceedings at the Philippine Mediation Center in Quezon City on the same month.
In the meeting, Manalo allegedly got all the schedule of the payments of the school fees of the complainant.
Manalo however paid the initial fees with promise to pay the next installment due on December 1, 2013 but refused to give them his contact details in spite of their request.
“Direkta na lang daw niyang dadalhin sa school ko ang kailangang bayad,” the complainant told reporters.
But Manalo allegedly intentionally humiliate the complainant by not paying school fees due last December 1, 2013.
Because of non-payment of the school fees, the school sent letters and text messages to the complainant reminding of her school obligations. Manalo's daughter stopped going to school after these receiving these letters.
“Respondent even boasted before the San Juan City Regional Trial Court Branch 162 in JDRC Case No. 9505-SJ that he will pay all the education of complainant to no avail. All was pure talk and complainant was left as a laughing stock in a comedy scene orchestrated by respondent,” as stated in the complaint-affidavit. (Sunnex)