MANILA, Philippines—This word war seems headed for the courts.

Former actress Nadia Montenegro told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday she was talking to her lawyers about possibly filing libel charges against TV host Cristy Fermin and the ABS-CBN program “The Buzz.”

In the show’s Oct. 5 episode, Fermin said Montenegro had given birth about two years ago to a baby girl whose father was not the actress’ long-time partner, former Caloocan City mayor Macario “Boy” Asistio.

On Tuesday, Montenegro filed a complaint before the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board against Fermin on account of the “malicious and slanderous” remarks.

In her complaint, Montenegro sought Fermin’s suspension from the show, plus penalties for what she deemed were violations of existing broadcast rules. “We don’t need to be a lawyer or even a college graduate to figure out what rules were violated here,” Montenegro stressed.

Gathering evidence

On Wednesday afternoon, censors chief Marissa Laguardia said she had called for a meeting next week with the producers of “The Buzz” and three other board members.

A few hours after, ABS-CBN announced that Fermin had been suspended until the end of the year from “The Buzz” and her daily radio show, “Showbiz Mismo.”

Meanwhile, Montenegro said, she has directed her lawyer, Agnes Marana, to gather evidence against Fermin. “It’s time she learned her lesson,” said the former actress. “Me, I’m ready for anything. At marami na siyang siniraang artista (she has slandered many movie stars).”

Montenegro said Fermin had alluded to her adopted daughter Sofia. With Asistio, Montenegro added, she has an 18-year-old daughter named Alynna.

Friends have been urging her to just sit down with the TV host and discuss the problem, she said, “Pero bakit pa (What for)?”

Should Montenegro proceed with the lawsuit, it wouldn’t be Fermin’s first. In April, the Supreme Court ordered the TV host—also a tabloid movie columnist and former movie magazine publisher—to pay P1 million in damages and P6,000 in fines to couple Eddie Gutierrez and Anabelle Rama in connection with the libel conviction handed out by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court and the Court of Appeals. The case was filed in 1995. The fine bails out Fermin from the prescribed jail sentence of three months to one year, eight months and 21 days.

“I am not backing down from this fight,” Montenegro said. “My kids are in school. Boy and I are still okay. I’m doing this for them.”

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph