Nadia drops first 2 of 26 cases vs Annabelle
MANILA, Philippines -- Formally discontinuing all her legal charges against Annabelle Rama will be a "long, long process" for Nadia Montenegro, who started Tuesday her first steps to drop 26 cases filed across five courts.
The former actress on Tuesday afternoon executed her affidavit of desistance on the cases of grave coercion and grave oral defamation she filed against Rama before a San Juan City court.
An affidavit of desistance is executed by a complainant when he no longer wishes to pursue a case against an accused.
"I'm very happy, answered prayers at makakapag-move on na sa wakas. All in God's perfect time talaga," Montenegro told ABS-CBN News' Mario Dumaual in an exclusive interview.
Montenegro's move came after her emotional reconciliation with Rama early this month, when both camps agreed to finally end their legal disputes that made headlines the past two years.
According to the former actress' legal counsel, Atty. Maggie Abraham, her client is set to execute several other affidavits of desistance before four other courts in Quezon City, Pasig, Makati and Caloocan.
In total, including the two cases discontinued on Tuesday, Montenegro had filed 26 charges against Rama across these courts.
The feud stems from Montenegro's allegations of child abuse against Rama, dating back to late 2011, in relation to the talent manager's way of handling her children's showbiz careers.
How they reconciled
Recalling their heart-felt encounter last June 5, when they reconciled, Montenegro said, "Nothing was planned. I guess talagang we prayed so hard for it. I was going through my own battles, she was going through her own battles, her sadness because of the loss."
Rama lost her congressional bid in Cebu in the recent mid-term elections.
"For some weird reason," Montenegro narrated, "I told the kids on the way here (San Juan court), sabi ko, 'Smile at Tita Annabelle,' and then she smiled back. And then ayon, 'I told them to kiss her, give her a kiss,' and they all stood up, the three of them, to kiss her, and she started talking to them as if nothing happened, and so I said, 'Ah, this is the right time.'"
"So I approached her and gave her a kiss also, and we ended up hugging each other and crying. So i knew it was okay na," she said.
