MANILA -- Actress Sunshine Cruz maintained that she did not file a case against her husband, actor Cesar Montano, because of her "financial demands."
Reacting to a statement released by Montano's lawyer, Atty. Joel Ferrer, Cruz stressed that she has been working hard in show business to provide for her children.
The actress said she is tired of waiting for Montano's financial support.
"Eh kailangan ko mag-work kasi ayaw ko namang mamilit sa isang tao, na pahirapan lagi kung magbigay sa mga bata," she told ABS-CBN News.
"And I'm proud to be a working mom. I need to do this for my kids," she added. "But it doesn't mean na porket nagtatrabaho tayo eh pagkakaitan na tayo at hindi na ipapakita sa iyo ang mga anak mo kung kailan wala ka nang trabaho."
Cruz, who currently stars in the ABS-CBN series "Dugong Buhay," said all she wants is to be with her children.
"Kung may choice lang ako, talagang hindi ko gagawin ito. You all know how I protected Cesar because he is still the father of my children and I told everybody that he is a good father to my kids," she said.
"I want to be with my kids, 'yun lang naman. Ngayon, kaka-text lang ng anak ko sa akin na, 'I miss you, Mommy. I love you. We want to go home.' Tapos noong pina-pickup ko sila sa bahay, ayaw naman [payagan].
"Hindi naman ako pusa na kinunan lang ng kuting, hindi naman tayo ganoon. It's just unfair na napagkakaitan ako ng oras to be with my kids."
As she concentrates on saving money to buy a new house for her children, Cruz said she does not know if reconciliation with Montano is still a possibility.
"Mahirap magsalita ng tapos. Only God knows," said the actress, who is now gearing for her new soap, "Galema."
Cruz filed a complaint-affidavit before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Tuesday morning in an Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children case against her Montano.
The actress claims Montano has committed -- and still continues to commit -- acts of violence and verbal abuse against her and her three daughters.
She also claimed that the actor raped her last May.
But Ferrer, Montano's lawyer, claimed that Cruz has been asking her husband to buy her a new house, which supposedly costs P11 million to P15 million, and a monthly financial support of P350,000.
"Gumagawa-gawa ng kwento si Sunshine kasi hindi napagbigyan 'yung demands niya," the lawyer told ABS-CBN News.
