Actress and vlogger Ivana Alawi on Saturday, February 10, denied that she is the girlfriend of Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
Alawi issued the denial on her Facebook page after numerous social media posts have linked her to the mayor, and a video of them at an airport in Japan went viral.
Benitez, in a separate statement issued Sunday night, said “I am fully aware of the video footage that has been circulating which unfortunately does not accurately explain why I was in Tokyo. I went there on a business trip as stated in my official travel order”.
“Speculations involving Ms Ivana Alawi are untrue and only serve to put malice into what was clearly a chance encounter,” he said.
Benitez said he apologizes to Alawi and her family who have been unfairly dragged into issues concerning his private life.
“There is no truth to any and all the rumors spreading and I am setting the record straight to avoid further hurt and damage to them,” he said.
The actress in her Facebook post on Saturday said “There are posts and issues involving my name. I tried to stay quiet at dumedma na lang dahil sa paniniwala ko na hindi ako dapat magsalita lalo kapag alam ko na wala akong ginagawang masama (in the belief that I should not respond especially when I know that I have not done anything wrong)”.
“But because of the false accusations and hurtful words that are being thrown to my Mom and Mona, I need to clarify matters. This will be the first and last time I will speak about this. I am not the girlfriend of Mayor Albee Benitez.
I met him when I had work in Bacolod. He was very accommodating and friendly,” she added.
Benitez is not the only politician she has known who has become a friend, she said.
“I am currently seeing someone who makes me happy. All I can say is that he is a respectable businessman and not a politician”, she said, adding that she hopes her statement helps clear her name and clarifies all rumors.*