Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez’s camp ended their silence after the public official’s wife, Nikki Benitez, filed charges against him.

According to the statement published by Benitez’s legal counsel, Peter Sanchez, the timing of the case filing was questionable since some of the incidents mentioned in the complaint filed by Mrs. Benitez happened as far back as two decades ago.

They also claimed that the mayor didn’t fail to support his partner despite being separated a long time ago.

“Every property acquired during the marriage—including the multi-million peso residences in Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village—was fully paid for by Mayor Benitez using his own resources, but titled in the name of the complainant, Dominique Lopez-Benitez. This also includes high-value assets such as condominium units, luxury vehicles, and a substantial amount of publicly listed shares, all of which were funded by Mayor Benitez but registered under her,” the lawyer said.

There was also a court order that the mayor was only obligated to support his wife and his family, but he was generous enough to give more.

“Mayor Benitez continued to provide not just ordinary support but a high standard of living, shouldering personal, household, and even extended family expenses for more than two decades. This included the complainant’s travel business ventures, staff, and credit card charges-even long after their separation,” the report read.

Benitez’s camp also urged the complainant to stop dragging actress Ivana Alawi on the issue, saying that naming individuals would be against the process of VAWC.

Residents of Iloilo City discussed the possibility of declaring influencer Euleen Castro, a.k.a. ‘Pambansang Yobab’, persona non grata after she posted a negative review against a local coffee shop.

It can be recalled that Castro received negative comments online and even captured the attention of the City Mayor Jerry Treñas after she declared that all the food she ordered in the said coffee shop was not delicious.

She even raised the eyebrows of the netizens because of her explicit-laden criticism against the coffee shop.

“Nag-try kami dito sa Coffeebreak. Andami. Out of all of you, all of you [mga inorder na food] walang masarap. Even the drinks. Even the lasagna. Lahat tab-ang… Ang dami n’yo diyan, walang masarap sa inyo? Ni isa? P*ta,” said Castro.

The comments made by Castro sparked an appeal to ban her from visiting Iloilo again.

However, a lawyer reminded the court that persona non grata was purely symbolic and that there was no legal basis for someone to be barred from entering a city despite the declaration.

“Declaring someone persona non grata through a local government resolution is purely symbolic—it merely expresses disapproval and has no legal weight. It cannot bar a person from entering or remaining in a city,” said Atty. Race del Rosario.

Atty. Del Rosario also argued that Castro didn’t directly criticize Iloilo, and the coffee shop had all the chance to defend itself from the negative review.

Actress Ivana Alawi was facing criticism on social media after she was named in a complaint filed by Bacolod City First Lady Nikki Benitez against her husband, Mayor Albee Benitez.

It can be recalled that the relationship between Mayor Benitez and Alawi has been circulating since last year after they were spotted at an airport.

In the complaint, Mrs. Benitez claimed that her husband admitted to having a relationship with Alawi when he pushed for the annulment of their marriage.

“While I heard rumors of Responde’s infidelity early on, I had no proof of such facts. It was only when I received the Petition for Declaration of Nullity of Marriage filed by Respondent and after reading the admission of Respondent of having fathered two (2) illegitimate children, and his implied admission of his current illicit relationship with Ivana Alawi, that I was able to confirm his marital infidelity,” she said.

“I felt utterly betrayed by the Respondent and was devastated beyond compare after finally discovering and confirming the truth in the Respondent’s lies,” she added.

However, several months ago, Alawi already released a statement denying her connection to Benitez.

She even insisted that she was dating someone, but not Benitez.

“HINDI PO AKO ANG NASASABING girlfriend ni Mayor Albee Benitez. I met him when I had work in Bacolod. He was very accommodating and friendly. At hindi lang siya ang politikong nakilala ko at naging kaibigan,” Alawi said in a statement.

“I am currently seeing someone who makes me happy. All I can say is that he is a respectable businessman and not a Politician,” she added.

Julian Ejercito narrated what happened to them during their vacation in Boracay, which turned into a nightmare when three locals confronted them.

In a Facebook post, he described the incident as an ‘unprovoked attack’ and they didn’t even know the suspects personally.

“To set the record straight.. there was no fight. it was an unprovoked attack. jelo and i were already walking away from a peaceful night, heading home, when one of them walked up, said a few words and threw the first punch. what followed wasn’t a scuffle, it was a group jumping,” he said.

Julian was also saddened by the negative comments he received from the netizens.

“Yet people online were so quick to say “deserved,” “buti nga,” funny how loud people get when they’re hiding behind screens… twisting a story they weren’t even there for. this wasn’t some bar fight. we weren’t looking for trouble and we sure as hell didn’t start any but it’s easier i guess for strangers to believe the version that fits their bias,” he stated.

“It’s easier to hate than to ask what really happened so before you speak on someone else s pain, make sure you know the truth because what you say says more about you than it ever will about me. to everyone who checked in, messaged or simply kept it real, thank you. your support didn’t go unnoticed. i’m taking time to rest and move forward. that’s all there is to it,” he added.

Meanwhile, Julian’s father, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said that they would file charges against the three individuals who were already under the custody of the authorities.