No public apology? Ellen Adarna faces criminal complaint

Through an open letter posted on her Facebook account and reported by various media outlets, Myra asked Ellen to issue a public apology for the “unneeded stress and unwanted attention” caused by the actress’s photo and video uploads of Eleila. (Photo: Ellen Adarna/Instagram)

With the actress’s silence to the mother of the teenager she accused of being a paparazzo on her Instagram stories, Ellen Adarna now faces criminal complaints before a local court.

Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP) reported that parents of Eleila Santos, the 17-year-old Ellen accused of taking videos of her and her boyfriend John Lloyd Cruz in a restaurant in Makati, took this legal action according to their lawyer Arnold Labay.

“Yes, Myra and Roel Santos, to protect the rights of their minor daughter, filed earlier today complaints for violations R. A. (Republic Act) 7610 (Anti-child abuse Law) and R.A. 10175 (Anti-Cyber Crime Law) against Ms. Ellen Adarna,” the lawyer texted PEP.

Myra, without giving further details, also confirmed to PEP that they filed their complaints before the Pasig Prosecutor’s Office on May 15, Tuesday morning.

Through an open letter posted on her Facebook account and reported by various media outlets, Myra asked Ellen to issue a public apology for the “unneeded stress and unwanted attention” caused by the actress’s photo and video uploads of Eleila.

(Read: Mom of ‘paparazzo’ teen asks Ellen Adarna for public apology)

“My family and I have begun seeking legal assistance. As advised by our lawyer, we are now writing this letter. As her family, we ask you to publicly apologize to Eleila. We prefer not to take this further, but as our only daughter, we are ready to take this wherever needed to protect her integrity,” Myra wrote on May 7, Monday.

She stressed that they tried to reach out to Ellen through private means to fix the issue, but the response they got was the series of Instagram stories which Myra tagged as a “one-sided narrative.” They took this move by the actress as a sign that she did not want explanations but simply wanted “to defame their daughter publicly.”

“Should you fail or refuse to do so, we will not hesitate to take the appropriate legal actions necessary under the circumstances, to protect and uphold the best interest and welfare of our 17-year-old, Eleila A. Santos,” Myra ended her letter.

As of writing, Ellen has not issued any statement regarding the issue.