Michelle Dee, Rhian Ramos, Samantha Panlilio accused of mauling driver

MANILA, Philippines – Beauty queen-actress Michelle Dee, fellow Kapuso actress Rhian Ramos and beauty queen-politician Samantha Panlilio are being accused of mauling a driver on Wednesday over his alleged accidental possession of sensitive photos.

Alias “Totoy,” who worked as a personal driver of Ramos, filed a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), alleging that the three actresses, repeatedly physically hit him and “tortured” him at his employer’s residence on January 17, that he had thought of ending his life.

INQUIRER Entertainment reached out to Sparkle GMA for the side of their talents. A statement issued by Dee and Ramos’ lawyer Maggie Abraham-Garduque denied allegations of illegal detention, though they have yet to get hold of a copy of the NBI complaint. Garduque said they are prepared to answer the charges.

Dee is the Miss Universe-Philippines 2023 titleholder who made waves as one of the semi-finalists at the Miss Universe pageant in that same year, while Panlilio is beauty queen-TV personality who ran for party-list in the 2025 mid-term elections. Ramos, meanwhile, is a top Kapuso artist who last appeared in the primetime fantaserye “Sang’gre.”

READ: Michelle Dee admits she’s ‘taken, off the market’

“Totoy” is currently under the care of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC).

In an interview with the media, “Totoy” claimed that he and Ramos just came from a taping when she and her bodyguards accosted him and beat him up right inside her home at the 39th floor of a Makati residential complex.

“Galing kami sa taping… Pag-uwi ko po ng alas tres ng madaling araw, kami ni [actress]… Pagbaba ko po ng gamit, bigla akong hinawakan at binugbog ako sa loob… Nagmamakaawa po ako, at binubugbog pa rin nila ako,” he said.

(We came from the taping… When I got home at three in the morning, [actress] and I… When I was putting down my stuff, they suddenly grabbed me and beat me inside… I was begging, and they were still beating me.)

The next day, January 18, after the assault, he decided to end his life by jumping out the window from the 39th floor, but his attempt hit a snag because an electrical cable impeded his fall, swinging him into the 25th floor of the building instead.

He then decided to go to the lobby of the building, but was intercepted by the actress’ bodyguards, and was brought back to the 39th floor.

Upon his return to the unit, the two beauty queens joined in beating him. Totoy alleged that Dee took his clothes off, and poured rubbing alcohol all over him. She then supposedly forced Totoy’s hand inside her shirt so touch her chest, then forced his hand to choke her neck.

“Dumating yung [beauty queen], pinarusahan niya ako… Hinubaran niya ako, binuhusan niya ako ng alcohol sa katawan, tapos insprayan niya ako. Natanong ko siya, ‘Ma’am, ano po gagawin natin?’ Sabi niya, ‘Maglaro tayo.’”

(The [beauty queen] came and punished me… She undressed me, poured alcohol on my body and sprayed some in my eyes. I asked her, “Ma’am, what are we going to do?” She said, “Let’s play.”)

“Hinubad niya sa akin, wala akong damit… Inispreyan niya mata ko tapos ginanyan niya ng dalawang daliri niya… Hinawakan niya kamay ko, ipinasok niya sa dalawang.. Dito niya, saka dito. Tapos yung kamay ko idiniin sa leeg niya,” he said, demonstrating how the beauty queen maltreated him, and threatened to poke his eyes.

“Ilang beses akong tumumba sa upuan, pero kahit anong makaawa ko wala na ako sa kanila. Ta’s nung paalis si ma’am Michelle sa ibang lugar, mga 6 ng umaga nung [January] 17, tinuloy-tuloy pa rin akong binugbog ng mga bodyguard niya. Mga kasama ko sa trabaho yan sila, hindi po sila naawa sakin.”

“Si ma’am Rhian naman, nandon sya. Sinapak, sinampal nya ko ta’s binatukan nya ko ilang beses. Kaya yun nga ang ano ko, bakit pati sya binatukan ako. Tapos non, binatukan nanaman ako ng mga bodyguard nya,” he further narrated to the media.

(I fell on the chair a few times, but no matter how much I tried to beg, I was nothing to them. Then when ma’am Michelle left to go somewhere on January 17, her bodyguards continued to beat me up. They were my workmates, they didn’t show me any mercy… Ma’am Rhian was there. She also hit me and slapped me. I was thinking why she would also do that. After that, her bodyguards again beat me up.)

Totoy also said that the actress’ two bodyguards beat him up some more, and forced him to drink his own urine.

At the NBI, he showed several bruises and wounds in his body as a result of the beating he took from the suspects.

Qualified theft

This did not appear to be the last of his torment as Dee also filed a complaint for qualified theft against him, which led to his detention at the Makati City Jail.

The case was filed before the Office of the Prosecutor in Makati, which dismissed the case three days later. It was only until after the resolution was issued that he was released from detention.

A copy of the resolution obtained by INQUIRER.net, read that Dee accused Totoy of pocketing one of her sensitive photographs.

“Complainant, along with her lawyer and security guard, confronted respondent regarding the photographs. Respondent then admitted that he stole the photographs from complainant’s room without the latter’s permission. Complainant explains that the photographs were kept inside an ampao and originally contained nine (9) photographs. However, when respondent returned the ampao, one (1) photograph was already missing,” a portion of prosecutor’s resolution stated the allegations.

When asked how Totoy got possession of the photos, he claimed that his wife found a copy of the photo in an ampao or envelope, and prompting him to immediately call the attention of his celebrity employer.

Ruling on the complaint, the city prosecutor dismissed the complaint against Totoy, saying “there was no basis to effect the warrantless arrest of the respondent.”

“There is no basis to hold that the crime of Theft had just been committed at the time the complainant confronted respondent,” the prosecutor said.

While in detention for three days at a police station, Totoy also accused two police officers of beating him. However, he failed to identify the two cops when asked, but that he would be able to recognize their faces.

After he was released from detention, Totoy asked for the aid of the VACC, who then assisted him to take the case to the NBI.

The NBI has yet to identify charges as they are in the middle of getting all the information from Totoy. /edv