After Janella Salvador’s former personal assistant reported her for unpaid salary on the YouTube show Raffy Tulfo in Action earlier this month, another celebrity is once again put on the spotlight for an unpaid debt.

READ: Janella Salvador on accusations of former assistant: ‘If you believe in your own lies, sue me’

Last July 14, a former friend of actress Sheryl Cruz, who was identified on the show as “Alex” went on the public service show in an effort to retrieve the money she lent the actress during Sheryl’s bid for office in the 2019 elections which went to two dance projects and amounted to a total of P100,000. “Bale nung una funded kami ng isang anonymous na tao. In the middle of the campaign, nung malapit na yung pinaka election, nag-stop mag-fund yung nagbibigay and then meron pang remaining projects na hindi pa naituloy and since ayaw naman namin na magalit yung mga tao sa kanya, since malapit na yung election nun so pinush through namin yung project and then ako yung nagbayad sa mga projects and then at the same time merong ilang days na ako yung nagpapa suweldo dun sa mga tao na nag-wo-work under sa kanya,” Alex explained to Raffy Tulfo.

When asked why it took her so long to make the issue public, the complainant, who is currently an OFW healthcare professional based abroad, admitted she only decided to ask help from Tulfo after several failed attempts of contacting the actress. “Naisip ko na wala naman din siyang work at that time and ayaw ko kasi siya sanag mapahiya. So sinalo ko na lang muna and medyo close kasi ako sa kanya so naisip ko kapag bumalik na yung work niya, mag-start na siya ulit mag-artista or if ever manalo siya mababayaran niya yung money,” she said. “Alex” admitted that she and Sheryl had a verbal agreement in which Sheryl told her she would pay her back in small increments every month which never materialized.

When Tuflo’s team contacted Sheryl, she did confirm that she knew “Alex” but denied that she owed her money and refused to talk about the issue. She also informed them that she has already been in touch with her lawyer. “Alex” admitted this was not the first time she extended financial help to her former friend, although Sheryl would always pay her back the small amounts. “Immediately after the election, nag-uusap pa naman kami. Sinamahan ko pa nga siya sa isang parang mini-concert niya sa Pampanga na without any na ibinigay siya. Then after nun hindi na siya kumontact. Pumunta ako once sa taping niya pero parang na-shock siya tapos umalis na siya agad and she told someone na be aware of me daw. Do not have any contact with me whatsoever,” she said.

Alex also shared that she tried to give a letter to Sheryl reminding her to settle her debt, when we went to her subdivision, the actress ordered the guards not to let her inside the premises. She then decided to give Sheryl time to come up with the money. “Naisip ko kasi na after election, sabi niya na-de-depress siya so I gave her time. And then after four to five months, I’m still trying to contact her,” she said.

The OFW said she trusted Sheryl to keep her word and pay her P5,000 every month. “Pinanghawakan ko yun and then wala namang nangyari. After that every two months I tried to contact her and then nag-me-message ako sa iba ibang social media platforms niya kasi we’re friends on Facebook, sa Instagram. I have her Viber and then the local number pero hindi na niya pinapansin. Hindi niya sini-seen, hindi niya chini-check or she doesn’t even bother to assure na magbabayad siya. After a year, ngayon ko lang naisip na parang it’s not worth it. A month or two after the elections she was still sweet to me. During elections kasi naging friends na kami, naging close kami. So very sweet siya sa akin. And then after nun narinig ko na lang sa iba na galing naman daw sa masama yung money so okay lang naman kahit hindi niya bayaran. Nung wala siyang work, hindi ko siya kinukulit. I just reminded her once. Iniisip ko na baka wala pa siyang work or wala pa siyang pambayad,” she explained.

Sheryl’s former friend said she just wants the actress to own up to her debt and stop avoiding her. “Hindi ko alam kung paano niya nasabi na hindi hiram kasi in the first place, wala naman akong agenda or any political value or whatsoever to give her money or to donate money to her campaign. It’s just that kinonsider ko yung pagiging magkaibigan namin before or yung pagiging close namin before. Ayoko lang siyang mapahiya nung time na yun because kung hindi naman ako nag-ke-care sa kanya, bakit naman ako mag-ba-bother na magbigay ng money right? So nagulat lang ako sa sinabi niya,” she added.

Before ending the interview, “Alex” shared a message for her former close friend. “Hi, if may lawyer ka then sana before pa because I already gave you almost a year and a half and then with regards to my credibility, para naman tayong walang pinagsamahan to say na you have someone to discredit me and alam mo naman kung ano yung mga ginawa ko for you and alam mo naman kung hanggang saan yung extent ng help na binigyay ko for you. Ilang beses na kita minessage na I want to settle everything in a legal way matagal na, last year pa, pero ikaw itong umiiwas. Parang kinalimutan mo na meron kang something na kulang sa akin. The money kung hindi mo babayaran it’s okay pero sana lang, you would say the truth and huwag ka na lang gumawa ng other things na hindi ko naman ikakasira kasi hindi naman ako public person, alam mo yan. Confidential person ako. Pero kung gusto mo ng siraan, sana hindi lang kasi ayoko din masira ka kasi madaming nag-a-idol sa yo, alam mo naman yan. Same with your generation and the future generation so ayoko naman na siraan ka din kasi hindi ako ganung klaseng tao,” she said.

Raffy ended the interview with an open invite addressed to Sheryl and her legal counsel to join the show to air their side of the story

Watch the full interview here: