Vina Morales on Cedric Lee: I had to fight back for my daughter's sake

MANILA, Philippines - Vina Morales has filed for a motion to suspend the visitation rights of her ex-partner Cedric Lee to their daughter.

Vina went to the San Juan Regional Trial Court to file the motion to Judge Cesar Sulit of Branch 162, MJ Felipe reported in the ABS-CBN news program "TV Patrol" on Wednesday.

This was after Cedric allegedly detained their seven-year-old child for nine days, when she was on vacation in France.

She recalled her conversation with her daughter that time, and she narrated: "I called the yaya, I spoke to [my daughter] I said, 'anak, uwi ka na, anak,' [she said] 'yes, mommy, I want to go home na but daddy doesn't want me to go.'"

"Then bigla naputol ang usapan namin, 'yon pala kinuha niya ang cellphone, pinatay niya," she added.

Vina's family was able to get back the child last May 23, with the help of their legal counsel Atty. Anna Santiago.

"I had to fight for the sake of my daughter," said Vina about filing the motion. "Alam mo 'yong taong ayaw mang-away, hindi mahilig mang-away. Matapang ako, pero ayoko ng away."

However, after seeing her daughter emotionally affected about what happened, the Kapamilya singer-actress said, "matututo ka lumaban."

Meanwhile, in a statement sent by Atty. Ricardo Moreno, the legal counsel of Cedric, he said that his client would rather not comment on the motion filed against him.

Moreno noted that his client will answer all the allegations against him “in the proper forum.”

For now, Cedric’s visitation rights were temporarily suspended, and they were given five days to respond to the motion filed against him. – Joyce Jimenez