PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — Noontime showman Willie Revillame yesterday posted bail before a Quezon City court over a case of verbal and emotional abuse filed by his wife Floralice Almoro.
Judge Elsa de Guzman, of QC Regional Trial Court Branch 89, set the bail at P12,000 on the recommendation of Assistant City Prosecutor Gibson Araulla Jr.
Acting on the complaint filed by Almoro last year, Araulla elevated to the court last Friday charges under Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 against the “Wowowee” host.
De Guzman issued a warrant for his arrest on three days ago.
Almoro alleged that Revillame subjected her to humiliation and verbal abuse, and that he engaged in “dirty sexual affairs.”
In her affidavit, she said he tried to hit her with a chair and threw a remote control at her in May 2006.
Almoro, a former beauty queen and daughter of an official of the Immigration bureau, had planned to seek a hold departure order against her estranged husband.
She also accused Revillame of being a pervert and a philanderer “who has sex with any woman who wanted to have sex with him.”
In his counteraffidavit, he denied the accusations, claiming that Almoro’s moods made it difficult for him to be a father to their son, Juamee.
A mainstay of the ABS-CBN network, he has faced other sexual abuse charges, including one from a tabloid reporter.
Almoro, in her reply-affidavit to the counteraffidavit submitted by Revillame at Araulla’s office, disputed all the accusations that she was “extremely dominant, condescending, maniacal and ruthless.”
Revillame argued that the allegations of infidelity were “only fruits of her disturbed, paranoid mind, devoid of any factual basis.”
He insisted that the complaint under RA 9262 was attended by bad faith and with malice, to smear his name and besmirch his reputation.
Unintimidated, Almoro, “Liz” to friends, described Revillame’s pronouncements as lies.
“He is a serial philanderer who has sex with any woman willing to have sex with him and even pays for sex,” she said.
Lawyers for the ex-couple, Katrina Legarda for Almoro and Dexter Licuanan for Revillame, tried to patch things up to no avail.
“Willie and Liz have decided to be friends again for the sake of their son, Juan Emmanuel [Juamee],” Legarda was quoted as saying.