MANILA, Philippines -- Jed Salang, the estranged husband of Ai Ai delas Alas, is accusing the 48-year-old actress of violating a gag order issued by court in connection to their controversial separation, and wants her to be cited for contempt.
Salang on Thursday filed the petition, which was raffled off to the Branch 216 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, according a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Delas Alas previously filed a case against Salang for violation of the Anti-Violence against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 at the same court's Branch 94, where she also sought a permanent protection order against the businessman.
The charges stem from delas Alas' allegations aired in a controversial interview on "The Buzz" aired in May, wherein she claimed she was physically abused by Salang.
The former couple, who were married in a civil wedding on April 3 and separated on May 2, faced the court in a pre-trial conference in relation to the charges on June 19.
According to Salang, as cited by Inquirer's report, Judge Roslyn Rabara-Tria issued a gag order on both parties during the said conference.
The order states: "The parties, counsels and their privies are hereby directed to refrain from giving any interviews or comments about this case to the media, or social media networking under pain of contempt."
In Salang's contempt petition detailed in the report, the businessman said delas Alas violated the gag order when she allegedly granted two separate interviews pertaining to their separation -- one aired on the ABS-CBN talk show "The Buzz," and the other, published on entertainment magazine "YES!"
"Even after issuance of said gag order, Respondent (Delas Alas) appeared in different forms of media while peddling the merits of her case. This is in direct violation not only of the gag order but the sub judice rule as well, to the extreme prejudice of Petitioner (Salang)," Salang's camp said in the petition.
Referring to the "YES!" magazine piece, it added, "The article features an interview of respondent... and discusses with appalling clarity and depth, issues pertaining to the merits of Respondent's (Delas Alas) case."
Delas Alas, according to the petition, also "appeared on television on June 23, 2013 in a segment in the program The Buzz aired by ABS-CBN Network and interviewed thereat. This is a blatant violation of the sub judice rule and the gag order."
Salang's camp lamented that these interviews put him in a bad light.
"[Delas Alas'] extrajudicial representations effectively engendered a negative perception against Petitioner (Salang) in the minds of the public, especially that she is a well-known celebrity. These representations tend, directly or indirectly, to influence the decision of the controversy and consist in unlawful interference with the proceedings in said civil case," the petition said.
The petition concluded by urging that delas Alas "be punished for indirect contempt of court" with appropriate penalty, after being given notice and a hearing.
