Actress accuses newsman of touching her

MANILA, Philippines - Singer-actress Danita Paner filed yesterday a complaint against a TV5 news anchor for allegedly touching her legs at a restaurant in Pasig City Thursday.

Paner, 23, appeared before Senior Police Officer 4 Geminer Tingne of the Eastern Police District’s District Investigation and Detective Management Division to file a blotter report against Mike Templo.

Paner, daughter of former basketball player Manny Paner and former actress Daisy Romualdez, said she and her friend, actor JC de Vera, and their companions went to the Local restaurant along Julia Vargas Avenue at around 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

While they were seated at a table, Paner said Templo – who she believed to be drunk – approached them and allegedly touched her legs, embarrassing her in front of her companions and other restaurant customers.

She told Tingne that when De Vera went to the restroom, Templo followed and challenged him to a fistfight. However, cooler heads separated the two men before trouble erupted.

Paner said she and her companions decided to leave and look for another restaurant to avoid further trouble.

The actress was a mainstay in the TV5 drama series My Driver, Sweet Lover with De Vera.

Tingne said Paner wanted the incident recorded for “future reference.”

Templo, an immigration lawyer, is a son of former television host Mildred Ortega and retired military general Emiliano Templo.