MANILA (Azat TV) – Beauty queen-actress Michelle Dee, fellow Kapuso actress Rhian Ramos, and beauty queen-politician Samantha Panlilio are currently facing a formal complaint before the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The complaint, filed on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, by Rhian Ramos’s personal driver, alias “Totoy,” alleges serious illegal detention, torture, and physical assault stemming from an incident earlier this month over purportedly sensitive photographs.
The allegations, which have swiftly garnered significant media attention in the Philippines, place three prominent public figures at the center of a grave legal dispute. “Totoy,” whose real name was not immediately released, is currently under the care of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), which assisted him in bringing his case to the NBI.
NBI Launches Investigation into Grave Allegations
According to the complaint filed with the NBI, “Totoy” claims the alleged incident began on January 17, 2026, at Rhian Ramos’s residence, located on the 39th floor of a Makati residential complex. He alleges that upon returning from a taping session with Ramos, he was accosted and physically beaten by Ramos and her bodyguards inside her home. “Totoy” recounted to media that he was repeatedly hit despite his pleas, stating, “I was begging, and they were still beating me.”
The following day, January 18, the alleged assault escalated with the reported involvement of Michelle Dee and Samantha Panlilio. “Totoy” claims that during this period, he was subjected to further physical abuse. He specifically alleged that Dee undressed him, poured rubbing alcohol over his body, and sprayed his eyes. He also asserted that Dee forced his hand inside her shirt to touch her chest and then forced his hand to choke her neck. He further claimed that Ramos’s bodyguards continued the assault and forced him to drink his own urine.
Amidst the alleged ordeal, “Totoy” recounted a desperate attempt to end his life by jumping from the 39th-floor window. He stated that his fall was impeded by an electrical cable, which swung him into the 25th floor of the building. After reaching the building’s lobby, he was reportedly intercepted by the actress’s bodyguards and brought back to the 39th floor.
Qualified Theft Case Against Driver Dismissed
In a related development, Michelle Dee had previously filed a counter-complaint for qualified theft against “Totoy” with the Office of the Prosecutor in Makati. Dee accused “Totoy” of pocketing one of her sensitive photographs. “Totoy” claimed his wife found a copy of the photo, prompting him to call his employer’s attention. This complaint led to “Totoy’s” detention at the Makati City Jail for three days.
However, the city prosecutor dismissed Dee’s qualified theft complaint, ruling that “there was no basis to effect the warrantless arrest of the respondent” and that “there is no basis to hold that the crime of Theft had just been committed at the time the complainant confronted respondent.” “Totoy” was released on January 22, 2026, following the dismissal of the case. While in detention, “Totoy” also accused two police officers of beating him, though he has yet to identify them.
Accused Deny Illegal Detention, Await Formal Complaint
Atty. Maggie Abraham-Garduque, legal counsel for Michelle Dee and Rhian Ramos, issued a statement to GMA’s primetime newscast, “24 Oras,” and PhilSTAR L!fe. She stated that her clients had not yet received a copy of the complaint allegedly filed against them before the NBI but affirmed their readiness to answer the charges. Atty. Abraham-Garduque explicitly denied the illegal detention accusation, arguing that “Totoy,” identified as Mr. Baro, was a resident of the condo as Rhian Ramos’s driver, implying no illegal detention occurred.
As of this report, Samantha Panlilio, the third beauty queen named in the complaint, has not yet publicly addressed the matter. The NBI stated it is in the process of gathering all information from “Totoy” and has yet to identify specific charges to be filed.
High-Profile Personalities at Center of Controversy
Michelle Dee is widely recognized as Miss Universe-Philippines 2023, having made a significant impact as a semi-finalist in the Miss Universe pageant that same year. Rhian Ramos is a prominent Kapuso artist, known for her roles in various primetime series, including her recent appearance in the fantaserye “Sang’gre.” Samantha Panlilio, a fellow beauty queen and TV personality, recently ventured into politics, running for party-list in the 2025 mid-term elections.
The serious nature of the allegations, coupled with the high public profiles of the accused and the prior dismissal of a counter-charge against the complainant, underscores the significant legal and reputational challenges now facing the involved parties as the NBI investigation proceeds.