What Angelica said that sparked concubinage case

Mary Christine Jolly, the estranged wife of Derek Ramsay, said a tell-all interview of Angelica Panganiban was the biggest factor in her decision to file a concubinage complaint against the former celebrity couple.

Jolly filed the case at the Paranaque Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday.

In her complaint-affidavit, Jolly pertained to several statements made by Panganiban in the April 2013 issue of StarStudio magazine, which featured the actress on the cover.

Until she read the interview recently, Jolly said she only heard “rumors and speculation” as to Panganiban’s six-year relationship with Ramsay. Citing Panganiban’s statement, Jolly said she has enough evidence to back her concubinage complaint against Ramsay and the actress.

ALSO READ: Derek’s estranged wife wants P42 million for child, spouse support

Under Article 334 of the Revised Penal Code, concubinage can be filed against a husband “who shall keep a mistress in the conjugal dwelling, or shall have sexual intercourse, under scandalous circumstances, with a woman who is not his wife, or shall cohabit with her in any other place.”

The woman must also be aware that the man (husband) is married.

If found guilty, the husband may be imprisoned from six months to six years, while the mistress may be prohibited from being within 25 kilometers of the husband for a specified length of time.

According to Jolly, she and Ramsay met in 2001, and were married in 2002 in Balagtas, Bulacan. They have a son, now 11, who Ramsay supposedly only confirmed was his in August 2011 but only admitted to fathering this year.

ALSO READ: Derek Ramsay’s estranged wife files concubinage charges vs. him and Angelica Panganiban

Jolly is now seeking P42 million in damages for spouse and child support, after filing in June a complaint against Ramsay for allegedly violating the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act.

Here are excerpts from the StarStudio magazine about Ramsay and Panganiban’s decision to live in together, and the actor’s then-rumored marriage to Jolly, among others:

On deciding to live together:

“On the second year of their relationship […] Derek suggested to Angelica that they live together in one house and transform their relationship into a setup just like that of a husband and wife.

“The idea was not something Angelica immediately embraced with open arms. It should be recalled that before this, all she knew of love as the adolescent kind. But since she was drunk with love, she closed her eyes and agreed to the arrangement. ‘Gagawin ko lahat, ‘wag mo lang akong hiwalayan,’ was her running thought.”

“Her mother Annabelle helped her fix the house on the day she moved in, Derek being away on an assignment. ‘Naaalala ko nung first night ko dun sa house namin… iyak ako nang iyak,’ she says. ‘Tapos nagdadasal ako, ‘Tama ba ‘tong ginagawa ko?'”

On deciding to live apart:

“On their fourth year, things began to turn sour. Angelica asked her mother Annabelle to find a house near hers where she could eventually transfer. The house in south Metro Manila, which Angelica and Derek had preened for so long, was unravelling.

“In her mind, for the relationship to continue, they had to face the reality of living away from each other. ‘Kung itutuloy namin yung relasyon, hindi ko na kayang kasama pa siya.’ Little did she know that a bigger, more debilitating blow to their relationship was just biding its time, waiting for the right moment to strike.”

On the first rumors of Ramsay’s marriage:

“On July 29, 2011, Ginger Conejero reported in TV Patrol that Derek Ramsay had purportedly gotten married to a certain Mary Christine Jolly on April 3, 2002. A certain Mayor Reinaldo Castro allegedly officiated the wedding. As proof, a screenshot of their National Statistics Office (NSO)-certified marriage contract was televised.

“Angelica’s reply to the issue was brief: ‘Siyempre gusto naming harapin na masaya, di ba? So tina-try namin ang best namin na labanan ito.’

On Angelica’s knowledge of the marriage:

“Cris Navarro, Angelica’s handler, says the actress had warned her, several months prior, that this news would erupt. ‘Matagal mo na itong alam?’ asked Cris. ‘Oo naman, tita. Bago ako pumasok sa relationship na ito, alam ko naman yan. At saka sa akin naman, hindi naman ako pumasok na para sirain ang family. Bago naman siya, meron namang girlfriend di ba?’ ‘Basta tanggap mo, wala akong problema.'”

Ramsay and Panganiban eventually broke up in February 2012, according to the actress. Among the reasons that led to the breakup, Panganiban said, were three major conflicts — Ramsay’s being allegedly a controlling boyfriend, his supposed lack of support for the actress’ mission to find her biological father, and his marriage to Jolly.

On Wednesday, Jolly clarified that she is not out to make personal attacks against Panganiban. She also appealed to Panganiban, who is now in a relationship with actor John Lloyd Cruz, to speak up about her relationship with Ramsay.

In a statement given to ABS-CBN News, Panganiban’s legal counsel Atty. Francis Aguilar said the actress has no comment as of this time, as she has yet to receive a copy of the complaint. Aguilar added that Panganiban will respond once she sees Jolly’s complaint.