The camp of actor Raymart Santiago has issued a statement denying any involvement in the alleged kidnapping incident raised by his estranged wife, Claudine Barretto, during her recent livestream.
The issue gained widespread attention after Barretto went live on social media on January 24, accusing her former personal assistant, Ma. Solita “Marisol” Acap, of taking her children without consent. On the same day, it was confirmed that the three children—Sabina, Quia, and Noah—had safely returned home.
However, Barretto’s statements also appeared to implicate Santiago, suggesting that he may have been involved or complicit in the incident. Although she did not mention his name directly, her remarks were widely interpreted as referring to the actor, who is the father of her children.
In response, Santiago’s legal counsel, Calleja Law, released an official statement aired on Fast Talk With Boy Abunda on Monday, January 26.
“There is no truth to any of the allegations made by [Claudine Barretto], both in the past and recently, more so, our client is not in any way or form involved in the kidnapping incident of his children with Ms. Barretto, if there is indeed any,” the statement read.
The lawyers further explained that Santiago is deliberately refraining from issuing further personal responses in compliance with an existing court gag order.
“While painful and difficult, our client actively refrains from further addressing, dignifying, or responding to any of these statements as deference to the Gag Order issued by the court, which remains in full force and effect to this day. Our client respects the court and has faith that justice and truth will prevail in time,” they added.
Santiago’s camp also cautioned against the use of social media and media platforms to damage reputations, calling for restraint and responsibility.
“We would also like to remind Ms. Barretto to refrain from weaponizing her influence, the media, and other platforms in discrediting the name and reputation of anyone, especially our client. We also plead for the public to be more critical and discerning on their comments about the parties, especially when it involves private and sensitive family matters,” the statement concluded.
As of this writing, no formal criminal charges related to the alleged kidnapping have been publicly confirmed, and the parties involved have yet to issue further statements beyond those already released.
