MANILA, Philippines — Actress Andi Eigenmann defended her fiancé Philmar Alipayo over the controversy that the champion surfer stole donations for Typhoon Odette victims in Siargao.
Andi took to her Instagram story to clear the name of Philmar saying that they were in Manila when Odette struck the Visayas and Mindanao.
"@chepox just got back to Siargao and left me and the kids behind with a heavy heart in order to go and see our family and see what more we could do to help,” Andi said.
"When he got a seat on the @sunlight_air as a volunteer, we also asked beforehand if he was allowed to bring some boxes with him so he could readily bring food and other essentials to his family and our loved ones there. They said yes!” she added.
The actress-turned-island girl didn’t mention who accused Philmar of keeping the donations for himself.
"It is very sad to know that he is being accused of stealing donations when he even specifically ignored his chance to use his platform to ask for them, since he's more than willing to use his own money just to help our community out," she said.
"Just so hurtful that it always seems to be so hard to believe that my fiancé has his own money to spend, too, because he works to earn it. Now with some, he is still the same simple man who doesn’t really need much. Just for his kids to have a good life. Which is why it isn’t hard for him to share his blessings to HIS HOME," she added.
At the end of her statement, Andi said she was assured by Philmar that everything is going to be okay.
"Before he left I kept telling him to take care. And he kept assuring me he will be ok by saying, 'Mahal, I am used to having nothing. We are used to having no bed to sleep on, no aircon, no purified water, no proper food to eat. I WILL BE OK,'" she wrote.
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