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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider With wife's charges dropped, Albee Benitez now ready to move on

With wife's charges dropped, Albee Benitez now ready to move on

Published Jul 10, 2025 12:37 pm

At A Glance

  • Bacolod City lone district Rep. Alfredo "Albee" Benitez is ready to move on with his life following the dismissal of the Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act violation charge filed against him by his estranged wife, Nikki Lopez-Benitez.
Bacolod City lone district Rep. Alfredo "Albee" Benitez (Facebook)
Bacolod City lone district Rep. Alfredo "Albee" Benitez (Facebook)


Bacolod City lone district Rep. Alfredo "Albee" Benitez is ready to move on with his life following the dismissal of the Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act violation charge filed against him by his estranged wife, Nikki Lopez-Benitez.
"I welcome the decision of the Makati City Prosecutor's Office dismissing, for lack of merit, the complaint filed against me under the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act," Rep. Benitez said in a statement released to House of Representatives reporters Thursday, July 10.
"I ask that this matter now be laid to rest, and that innocent individuals, especially my children, be given the privacy to move forward away from this controversy," said the returning congressman.
Lopez-Benitez filed the charge in April, just weeks before the conduct of the May 2025 elections. At that time, Rep. Benitez was still Bacolod mayor but was eyeing a House seat.
"After a thorough legal review, the prosecutor found no basis to charge me with economic abuse or psychological violence," he said, referring to his wife's allegations.
Rep. Benitez added that Lopez-Benitez's claims "were unsupported by evidence and did not meet the legal standards for criminal prosecution".
"Throughout this process, I remained silent out of respect for my family and confidence in the legal system. This resolution confirms what I have maintained from the beginning-that the accusations were baseless and malicious," he further said.
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