Young actress to sue director Jay Altajeros over alleged abuses on set

Dalin Sarmiento and director Joselito “Jay” Altajeros

Young indie actress Dalin Sarmiento said she will file a criminal case against director Joselito “Jay” Altajeros over alleged verbal and physical abuse during the shooting of their film about domestic violence.

In a Facebook post, Sarmiento accused Altajeros of hitting, slapping, and punching her in the stomach on the set of “In Saecula Saecolorum,” an entry to the Sinag Maynila 2015 film festival.

“I have been working since early this year, and I have played battered women roles before, and I expect that there is a degree of pain involved in these kinds of projects, but I never thought that the pain would be inflicted upon me not by my co-actor in a scene, but by you, the director,” Sarmiento said.

Also in a Facebook post, Altajeros called Sarmiento as “most unprofessional performer,” saying that the actress did not inform him of a medical operation that she underwent and supposedly asked her to fake the scenes.

But Sarmiento said she did not see the need to inform Altajeros of the November 2014 operation, which was re-stitched in March 2015, because she “did not think that it would matter.”

“I did not deliberately hide it from you because as you have seen, I act and move normally, and it’s not as if I am incapacitated to do my job as an actor,” Sarmiento said.

“I never told you na ‘dayain’ mo ang eksena, I just wanted to ‘meet halfway,’ because I was fearing for my well-being because you have hit me in the arm a couple of times (and I have pictures of my bruises), pulled my hair, and punched me in the stomach. My co-actors and your staff all saw what you did to me and they told me that they really felt sorry for me, but they could not do anything,” she added.

Without confirming nor denying Sarmiento’s allegations, Altajeros told INQUIRER.net that truth is “one-sided” and “absolute,” saying that people should know the facts before coming up with a judgment.

“Truth is one-sided. It is absolute. However, one can’t say it is the truth without listening to both sides. If you have already judged the person, make sure you stick with it. If unsure, then know the facts,” he said.

“So far, my position is just that until I meet my groups. I hope you understand. And please use a good picture if needed,” he added.

Broadway singer Lea Salonga also weighed in on the issue, calling Altajeros as “crazy” and saying that he should be blacklisted.

“No sane director would ever subject his/her actors to this. In all staged fights (or anything that requires a fight director), safety should be the priority. It just needs to look real, not actually be real,” Salonga said in the comments section of Sarmiento’s post.

Sarmiento was known for her roles in the films Balut Country (2015), Wagas (2013) and Beauty in a Bottle (2014), while Altajeros was known for his gay-themed films such as Kasal (2014) and Antonio’s Secret (2008). YG