Maria Mercedes Manhilot-Cantu a.k.a. Ched Manhilot, the controversial sister of Cesar Montano airs her side of the story after being sued for Libel by sister-in-law Sunshine Cruz over alleged malicious and hateful emails reportedly being spread through Friendster by Ched Manhilot against her.

Ched Manhilot is based in Italy and is amrried to an Italian. Here’s an email by Ched Manhilot regarding the Sunshne Cruz emails issue:

“I had my qualms about Shine before, and I have my reasons for this. I was just being a protective ate to Cesar then. But when they got married, I tried my best to be her ate as well.

“I have said a lot of things to her personally, both good and bad. I cannot remember specifically if I said those things she claims I said in e-mails. I will have to check my files.

“Shine and I have our misunderstandings. Let’s leave it at that. But for sure, I’m not the cause of their separation issue. That is an old song that the two revive from time to time.

“Re the libel case, I’ll wait for the summons. Until then, I will go on with my life here in Italy. I don’t see any reason for me to be intimidated. After all, I am an Italian citizen.

“My life does not rely on other people’s perception of me. But for Cesar, that is a different story. I hope Sunshine took that into consideration before she did this sort of thing.”

Also in The Buzz last Sunday, Ched Manhilot, has these to say:

“I don’t see any reason to take it seriously after all. Kasi I’m an Italian citizen, the Philippine court has no jurisdiction over me.”

“Huwag niyang sabihin na nine years na kaming magkakaaway o nine years nagtitiis sa akin. That’s a big lie! Nag-start yung rift namin talaga, yung mother ko pinalayas niya doon sa bahay nila. Parang she was not happy to see my mother around.”

About niece Angela Montano: “Nag-away sila, five years ago. They were yelling to each other. Dinala ko si Angela sa Italy. Three months dito sa Italy. She couldn’t stay here anymore so
she had to go back there. Pagbalik niya doon, Tita, wala na yung kwarto ko doon, sabi niyang
ganun. In-invade na raw ng stepmother [Sunshine] niya. Yun isa sa mga sama ng loob ko. Pero hindi ko ipinakita sa kanya.”

These, among other revelations from Ched Manhilot.

Cesar Montano reacts on the Sunshine Cruz and Ched Manhilot feud by issuing the following statement:

All ugly things said against my wife are not true, same with my sister Chedi. they both don’t deserve to be treated that way just because of grudges, personal differences. Kawawa ang mga walang kinalaman, especially their children.

They are both mature and adult citizens of this world. Shine and Ched must have known their own responsibilities to themselves and family, country, and God.

From day one, I told them to stop destroying one another by saying harsh things. It can still be resolved. It’s sad they declined. I love them with all my heart. Nothing can change. I pray that you soon realize you are destroying our family and your kids are part of it.

Meanwhile, Cesar Montano’s manager, Norma Japitana said that when she asked Cesar Montano what’s the score on the Sunshine Cruz subject of hate emails by sis-in-law Ched Manhilot, Cesar reportedly said to Norma: “baka naghahanap lang daw ng makakaaway si Sunshine kaya hayaan na lang daw.”

Norma is also puzzled why the sudden buzz when just last week, Cesar and Sunshine, were even seeing each other and are a constant date and reportedly Sunshine has actually moved back to the couple’s new house in Tivoli.

Hindi ko nga maintinidihan, e. Dati rin may nilabas na Marianna del Rio issue, pero hindi rin napatunayan na totoo. Ngayon, eto naman. Hindi alam ng press yan, e. Baka siya ang nagkuwekuwento, Norma laments.

Sunshine Cruz is consulting her divorce lawyer for a possible annulment of her marriage with Cesar Montano. Contrary to the news that the couple are getting back for a possible reconcialiation, Sunshine Cruz is already on the verge of filing for divorce or in the case of the Philippines, for annulment.

Sunshine Cruz is particularly riled at Ched “Marimer” Manhilot (married to an Italian), sister of Cesar Montano based in Italy who she said has been spreading malicious rumors about her.

“Hi friend… I’m issuing a written statement this Saturday for StarTalk. They are doing a story on what’s happening and what is being done to destroy me and my family by my own sister-in-law with the help of my stepdaughter (Angela Montano).

“Too much na friend and what hurts is the fact that Cesar [Montano, Sunshine's husband] is not protecting his family from his sister at all. I need to do something before they totally crush me.

“It’s been years that I kept quiet for Cesar. I was told by someone that hate e-mails for years about me were being sent to writers and TV stations. They now realize who is spreading the hate mails.

“From the suicide death of Cesar’s cousin pinpointing me to be the cause, to pocketing campaign money of Cesar, to having an affair with another guy… Lahat yun kinakalat sa TV at press ng isang taong matagal nang gustong sirain ang pagsasama namin ni Cesar at sirain ang kinabukasan ng mga anak ko…”

“Kailan lang kasi ako nag-log in uli sa Friendster,” Sunshine related. “May mga kamag-anakan kasi ako sa ibang bansa na nagpi-Friendster, at marami nga silang nababasa tungkol sa akin. They gave me an idea about the bad things being circulated about me. Kaya I wanted to find out for myself.

“Hindi mapakialaman ng sister-in-law kong si Ched ang Friendster account ko dahil banned siya. Noon ko pa alam na siya ang nagkakalat ng mga paninira sa akin, pero pinagtitiisan kong lahat yun, alang-alang sa asawa ko.

“Alam ng Diyos kung paano ko pinakisamahan ang pamilya ni Buboy. Iniisip-isip ko hanggang ngayon kung ano ba ang malaking kasalanan ko sa kanila para gawan nila ako ng ganito,” himutok ni Sunshine.

“Kaya kong tiisin ang lahat ng ‘yan, ang mga paninirang ikinakalat ng pamilya ni Cesar sa akin, dahil mahal ko siya. Pero na-realize ko, siya na mismong asawa ko, deadma lang at walang ginagawa para protektahan ako at ang mga anak ko sa mga ganitong klaseng paninira sa akin,” Sunshine said sobbing.

Cesar Montano, Sunshine revealed only replied, “Basta, ang nai-text pa niya sa akin, ‘Kasalanan mo ‘yan dahil nakipag-away ka sa kanila!’ when she related the incident to him.

Masakit ang balik ng mga salitang yun dahil hindi totoong nakikipag-away ako sa mga kamag-anakan niya. At kung may problema man kami, wala silang karapatang yurakan ng ganoon ang aking pagkatao, at kapag naaapektuhan ang mga anak ko ng ganito, lalaban na ako,” Sunshine further said.

“Alam ni Cesar na ipinaglaban ko siya sa mga magulang ko noon dahil ayaw nila sa kanya, pero pinakasalan ko pa rin siya. Bakit hindi niya magawa sa akin yun ngayon sa mga kamag-anakan niyang sumisira sa akin?

“Nakikipag-usap na talaga ako sa lawyer ko. May nilapitan pa akong isa pang lawyer sa pagsasampa ko ng annulment case. Through these years, sinira nila ang buhay ko. I have to fight back, for the sake of my children,” Sunshine ended still sobbing.

Mariana del Rio, 16, finally talked about her rumored affair with Cesar Montano and being the eventual cause of the Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz separation. Although, reportedly, Cesar and Sunshine have reconciled.

Mariana del Rio said she was in Brazil when the news broke out of the alleged affair with Cesar. “Sobrang sad ako… I was in Brazil, I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t even defend myself. My friends were the ones, they were calling me and telling me they’re talking about you. They are saying things about you and I was like, please help me out, help me too.”

Mariana del Rio met Cesar Montano last September when she went to Bohol with her friends. And all they discussed is if she wanted to do a movie with Cesar. And that she didn’t even know who Cesar Montano was. Mariana said that her meetings with Cesar had been very professional, and that it was at all times brief.

Mariana del Rio also confirmed that Cesar’s wife, Sunshine Cruz called her up. “Hindi sobrang galit pero galit, hindi like scandalous or shouting pero galit siya. She’s asking me what was going on and I told her that I met him in the airport and he was asking me to do a movie with him. He offered me three movies and told her, I explained to her everything and then after we put down the phone. I texted her explaining again everything that really happened and asking her if it was clear. If she was okay with that?. She said all good, okay, thank you and I thought she was okay.”

Mariana said she’s breaking her silence because, “I’m back to show the people that I did not do anything, and I want people to understand what really happened and Sunshine too, because I don’t know if she really thinks that something happened.”

photo courtesy of T3 Magazine..

On December 25, Christmas day, Sunshine Cruz together with her 3 kids with Cesar Montano left their conjugal home and they proceeded to her mother Alma’s house in Parañaque.

Reportedly the reason Sunshine Cruz left their conjugal house is because of a third party, Brazilian model Marianna del Rio, who is the girl famous for the Samba corned beef commercial.

Apparently, model Marianna del Rio was lead to believe by Cesar Montano that Sunshine and he was separated since September. Cesar Montano reportedly brought Marianna del Rio to Cesar’s hometown of Bohol and pointed out to her that he and Sunshine are already separated, proof is that no pictures of Sunshine are displayed in the house. Marianna was also brought to Cesar and Sunshine’s rest house in Bulacan and Cesar once again pointed out that they are separated since no photos of Sunshine can be found at the rest house.

Sunshine had an inkling of an extra-marital affair when text messages coming from a certain “Samba” with a message along the line of “Honey wer r u?” she had stumbled upon on Cesar’s mobile phone.

The last straw happened when she saw photos of Marianna and Cesar in a party held for ABS-CBN’s recently concluded reality show, Mano Mano, which Cesar hosts. In the photos, Marianna and Cesar are unmistakably a couple and when Sunshine confronted the staff of the show, they admitted to know Marianna who they said Cesar always brings with him. In one of the photos, a close friend of Cesar was in the photo. Sunshine confronted the friend who admitted to the affair.

Then Sunshine confronted the woman herself, Marianna del Rio, and Marianna retaliated by cursing Sunshine instead and telling her that she was not a mistress since Sunshine and Cesar had been separated since September.

Much to the shock of Sunshine (life is like the movies, ironically), she had no clue that Cesar can do that, so she confronted her husband and she got another shock of her life when Cesar shot back at her with the line, “Magpasalamat ka at pinakasalan pa kita kahit dati kang PORN STAR!”, to which he said several times to her face. And threatened her that if she makes public her affair with Marianna, Cesar would also reveal everything about Sunshine and Jay Manalo. Jay Manalo and Sunshine were involved in the Dukot Queen scandal, wherein they have an erotic scene that got into vcd’s and the net, although the movie itself was not finished/shown.

Sunshine vehemently denied any of those talk and told friends, “Inaamin kong nag-bold star ako. Pagkakamali ko iyon. Di ako nakinig sa mga magulang ko. Pero alam ni Buboy [tawag niya kay Cesar] na virgin ako nang nakuha niya ako. Ano ba naman yung mag-sorry siya? I’ll forgive him. I love him, e. Hanggang ngayon, I love him. Pero binaligtad pa ako. All I want is a little respect.”

Sunshine and Cesar were married September 14, 2000, they renewed their marital vow in March 2005 in Phuket, Thailand. Sunshine’s manager Alfie Lorenzo will talk about the matter in Startalk today in an exclusive interview.