Paul Christian Ocampo

Legal camp of Michelle Dee maintains she was in Iloilo at the time of alleged torture of driver

Article (news)

Peter Andrew Acierto

Push Team

Attorney Maggie Abraham-Garduque, the legal counsel of beauty queen and actress Michelle Dee, shared that her client was in Iloilo at the time the alleged torture and illegal detention claims made by Rhian Ramos’s former driver. In a statement released on Boy Abunda’s show earlier this week, Michelle was nowhere near the area and maintained her innocence against these charges.Earlier this week, the former driver of Rhian filed a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) accusing her, Michelle, and another beauty queen of physical assault, torture, and serious illegal detention which happened inside a condominium unit in Makati City.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/28/driver-files-complaint-vs-michelle-dee-another-beauty-queen-and-rhian-ramos-over-illegal-detention-2241" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">READ: Driver lodges complaint vs Michelle Dee, another beauty queen, and Rhian Ramos over &#x27;illegal detention&#x27;</a></div>“Napanood namin yung interview ng driver ni Rhian Ramos, dito sa allegation na alleged mauling, torture, and illegal detention for three days daw,” the lawyer shared.Michelle’s legal camp shares that it’s “physically impossible” for her to be present as she was somewhere else in the country as she attended Miss Iloilo 2026 pageant–– the same time the alleged crimes happened in Makati City.“We find this physically impossible and also incredible kasi based on the allegation of the driver, nangyari raw yung alleged mauling and illegal detention, January 17 to 19. However, records would show na si Michelle Dee was in Iloilo ng buong araw ng January  17, and she was able to go back to Manila only on January 18,” the statement continued.Plane tickets, photos, and posts of other people are just some of the proof that her legal camp cited.“Merong mga pictures or posts niya at ng ibang tao na magpapakita na talagang nandoon siya sa Miss Iloilo at nandoon siya sa Iloilo noong mga panahong yun,” she expressed.They also shared how the driver was also at the police station last January 19 for the inquest investigation over the alleged qualified theft committed by him against the beauty queen.“So yun yung period ng tatlong araw. Para sa amin, imposible na yung tatlong araw na yun are period for detention and period for mauling,” the statement ended.Previously, the driver shared all the alleged torture that he endured against the three celebrities. He narrated how he had to jump from the 39th floor of the building as he attempted to escape the alleged ordeal.“Alcohol was sprayed into my eyes, and my eyes were poked with fingers,” he claimed.

Michelle Dee was in Iloilo at the time the alleged torture was happening according to her legal counsel.

Michelle Dee was in Iloilo at the time the alleged torture was happening according to her legal counsel.