MANILA, Philippines — Actress Maxene Magalona has filed estafa and forgery charges against her personal assistant for allegedly faking the actress’s signature on a stolen check last week.

The respondent, Edna Padiernos, was arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by the Quezon City Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) after the family of the actress sought police help.

The forged check was later recovered from the respondent who admitted to faking the signature of Maxene on the stolen check.

In a criminal information filed this week, Padiernos was charged with estafa before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court and with forgery before the Metropolitan Trial Court.

The Magalonas complained to the CIDG after Maxene discovered that one of her checks was missing and that a bank informed her that Padiernos allegedly tried to encash a P40,000 check with a forged signature.