Actress files suit against columnist

Popular singer-actress Sharon Cuneta has filed a P15 million ($294,000) libel suit against a tabloid columnist who had linked her husband to one of his campaign volunteers during the May 14 elections.

Cuneta's husband, Francis Pangilinan, was elected senator last May 14. The actress claimed that columnist Pete Ampoloquio had "invented" a story linking Pangilinan to a certain Betty Tayag.

Ampoloquio also wrote that Tayag had donated P5 million ($58,823) to Pangilinan's campaign. "So many lies had been said. It's all written there and I can really answer these claims one by one," said Sharon at a press conference yesterday.

"The girl that was mentioned is actually related to someone very close to us. Unfortunately, she's not the person that donated a big amount. She was actually recruited to be part of the group of volunteers. I don't know what the basis of this writer was and why it involved us. But [the story] was very, very mean and it was vicious."