Arrest warrant out for Annabelle Rama

A judge ordered the arrest of talent manager Annabelle Rama after she failed to attend her arraignment Monday on the 14 counts of libel filed against her by former actress Nadia Montenegro.

At the same time, Judge Eleuterio Bathan of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 canceled the P140,000 surety bond posted by Rama earlier.

According to Bathan, under a court regulation, the accused in criminal cases are required to attend their arraignment.

Rama’s lawyer, Derick Delegencia, however, said that his client was not available Monday.

Court records showed that Monday was the third time that Rama’s arraignment had been postponed. The first two were deferred because of her pending motions in  court.

Earlier, she asked the court to give her 90 days before scheduling her arraignment to allow her to exhaust all appeals regarding her case.

She also urged the court to defer her arraignment Monday although the judge did not act on her motion.

The 14 counts of libel were filed against Rama after the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office found probable cause against her in connection with the allegedly malicious remarks she made against Montenegro on Twitter and in several television interviews.

Rama also faces charges for grave oral defamation and two counts of unjust vexation.

However, Quezon City Assistant City Prosecutor Diovie Macaraig-Calderon dismissed Montenegro’s other complaints against Rama for child abuse, unjust vexation slander by deed and attempted physical injuries.

The animosity between the two show biz personalities started after Montenegro charged Rama—who used to manage the former’s young daughters—with child abuse.